


Playoff

by EliseCollier



Series: Games That Take Me and Erase Me [2]
Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Family Dynamics, Humor, Sequel, Sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-01 20:19:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13302438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliseCollier/pseuds/EliseCollier
Summary: "Will you go with me to the Divisional Round playoff game in Green Bay?" Owen's eyes practically bugged out of his head. She stole his thunder. "I need you with me...to make new memories there...It was meant to be." - Continuation of the characters inThe Mark, picking up shortly after the events ofJurassic World. Owen and Claire have a few more things to reconcile before moving on to the next phase.





	1. Rescued From The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist writing another story for the characters I developed in _The Mark_ , especially with the recent _Fallen Kingdom_ teasers and football tie-ins. This sequel fic is mostly for fun and fluff, but I love angst and smut, too. I hope readers enjoy it.

"Holy shit - Terrance Williams again?" Lowery exclaimed from the easy chair.

"Unbelievable!" responded Owen excitedly. He'd been perched on the edge of the loveseat next to Claire for the last five minutes, a bundle of nerves for his team. The Cowboys had mounted a comeback in the waning minutes of the Wild Card playoff game and were now leading. Claire was supportive but clearly missing his arms around her - as they usually watched football - while he was wringing his hands and stomping his feet. Owen stood to give a high five to Lowery and then sunk back into the cushions to kiss her quickly.

"I see where I rate," she teased and pouted as he pulled his lips away from the brief contact.

Owen groaned and leaned in close to whisper, "Not in front of Lowery. You know there will be a lot more later." He tickled around her belly button through her t-shirt, and she giggled. It was one of his favorite sounds in the world, second only to her saying his name in bed.

"Don't hold back on my account," Lowery joked with raised eyebrows. "I won't flag you two for excessive celebration. I'll just get out of here if it's too much for me to handle."

"You'd love to skip out on dishes, wouldn't you?" Claire said with a hearty laugh.

"That would be a perk." Lowery smiled at them warmly. "I'm responsible for this," he continued while motioning toward them, "so I'm proud and shouldn't complain."

"Technically," Claire corrected him in a light tone, "the _Indominus_ is responsible for getting us back together."

"I'm referring to the boning, Claire, and I take FULL responsibility for that." Owen laughed while Claire blushed furiously. "Don't think I couldn't tell the next day at work after I stormed out of your office." Claire couldn't help laughing herself and hid her face in Owen's chest.

"He wanted to slam the door," Owen chuckled.

"You've always been such a drama queen, Lowery," teased Claire, throwing a sofa pillow at him. Owen mouthed, "Thank you," to Lowery as he enjoyed this carefree moment. It made him forget about their current predicament and the horrors they'd witnessed only a week ago.

In the aftermath of the _Indominus_ escape, Masrani Global found temporary lodgings for the three of them in San Diego. It was very early in the "discovery phase" of the legal investigations that the company was currently conducting. Due to their prominent roles in the "incident," from start to finish, they had been retained in the local area for questioning. They were still getting paid but not allowed to leave. Owen and Claire were forced to disclose their relationship at the beginning of the process and were openly sharing one apartment - saving the company money, Claire had reminded the interim CEO.

Owen and Claire were having a lot of sex, making up for lost time and because there was literally nothing better for them to do. Neither one was complaining, and it was just as good - if not better, after facing down death and saving each other's lives - as the first time in Owen's bungalow. The sex was extra special because it was the first time Owen didn't wear condoms. When Claire revealed that she got an IUD while they were dating on the island, it felt like Christmas morning to him. He was surprised about how wild and spontaneous she could be, too - like having sex in a Nordstrom fitting room as she was looking irresistible in new outfits.

Owen had never been more content in their relationship or any relationship. They had talked about the bet, and he said everything he felt he needed to say about it. Neither one wanted it hanging over them, and Claire pointed out how things happen for a reason. If not for his ruminating on the bet, they probably wouldn't have met in the billiards room, and there were no other obvious subsequent occasions for their paths to have crossed. Owen could tell, however, that the circumstances of their meeting still made her a little melancholy. She winced every time he qualified something as occurring "the first time" they were dating. It was similar to his reaction whenever she used the term "asset." Claire reassured him that she just needed time - it had been only eight days since she learned the truth. She told him that she trusted him completely, and he returned the sentiment. He just wished she felt comfortable enough to say, "I love you," out loud. Although he'd first felt it from her months ago and continued to feel it many more times since then, it would be nice to hear.

Owen did admit to still feeling guilty about sullying Claire's contentment in the early days of their relationship. She'd shared her insecurities about Sophie, but she was otherwise very happy with him before their mainland date. He figured this was why she wasn't able to verbalize her feelings for him yet. For the time being, Owen settled for her openness physically and their unmatched bedroom chemistry. He did not hesitate to verbalize his feelings for her during sex or in any other setting. In fact, he sometimes worried that he said it too much and that it would lose its meaning. It was his turn to feel truly lucky, and he didn't want her to feel insecure about him again.

When the game ended, Owen was exuberant from the Cowboys' victory. Lowery gave him a knowing look, and Owen shushed him silently. Claire's cell phone rang almost immediately after the final whistle blew. Owen saw Zach's name and photo on her screen. Claire froze and looked up nervously before excusing herself to their bedroom. Owen and Lowery started cleaning up.

"Are you gonna take her?" Lowery asked quietly.

"I don't know if Masrani will even allow it," answered Owen with a frown. "We may be stuck here and have to watch it on TV."

Lowery groaned, "No, man, you have to do it. This win is a sign." Owen rolled his eyes. "Hey, don't give me that. Like you were JUST hoping the Cowboys would win because they're your team. You want the romantic comedy moment, too." Owen blushed. Just then, Claire appeared in the kitchen and startled them. They looked like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Owen smiled at her lovingly even though she still looked a little nervous.

"Everything okay?" Owen asked.

"Yeah," Claire said, "Perfect." She linked arms with him.

As soon as Lowery was gone, Owen attacked Claire with his mouth and hands. He was so revved up by the game and frustrated from not being able to ravish her earlier. Just as he was about to pick her up and carry her to their bed, Claire pulled out of their kiss. He whined loudly.

"There's something we need to talk about," she said seriously. Owen suddenly started to sweat and had irrational thoughts. Was she pregnant? Was she leaving San Diego? Was she going to prison? She smiled and kissed him gently. "Don't freak out. It's not bad." They sat down on the loveseat, and she was holding his hands in hers. She took a deep breath, "Will you go with me to the Divisional Round playoff game in Green Bay?" Owen's eyes practically bugged out of his head. She stole his thunder.

"Can we?" he asked with childlike wonder.

"Yes. I got permission from Masrani Global yesterday, and I just solidified plans with Zach. He'd be going with us." Owen looked confused. Claire cleared her throat, "He and I have my dad's three season tickets. I mean...they're ours...bequeathed to us."

"No shit." Owen was practically giddy with excitement, but Claire remained tentative.

She stammered, "I haven't been to a game there since before he died, seven years ago. And..." Her voice trailed off.

"What is it?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's just gonna be hard for me...to go back. I need you with me...to make new memories there."

"Of course, Claire. And, I understand, about your dad."

"It's not just that. I...um...used to go a lot with exes. I mean, not a lot of exes...two exes. My dad's last game at Lambeau - a HUGE sore spot for Zach - was with me and my boyfriend at the time, Evan. Zach was close to my dad, too, and blamed me for taking that away from him."

"He won't mind me there?"

"On the contrary! I think he wants you there more than he wants me. He was rooting for the Cowboys today." Claire looked down, and Owen cupped her chin with his hand to pull her head back up. "We weren't sure you'd want to go if they didn't win."

"Are you kidding? I would go to any game with you." He kissed her fiercely and picked her up. "I'm ecstatic, however, that our teams are facing each other."

She snuggled into his neck and purred, "It was meant to be." No doubt about that to Owen.

The intervening week was a lot easier to bear knowing their weekend plans. Owen and Claire sat through separate inquisitions with lawyers. Claire used her Disney and Wharton ties to retain personal legal counsel to be present with them. Owen's lawyer, Xavier, had experience representing animal wranglers and zookeepers. Claire's lawyer, Emily, used to work for Disneyland and represented Lowery, too. Fortunately, Derek Fernandez recused himself from being involved with their testimony on account of his personal relationships with them. Owen also threatened to beat Derek senseless when they saw each other outside the Masrani Global building one afternoon. Derek had run into Claire the day before and suggested they all go out for drinks to "let bygones be bygones."

Despite Claire's reassurances that it was a source of significant shame and an overall terrible experience for her, it still bothered Owen that she slept with Derek. He begrudgingly empathized with Rachel on _Friends_ when she struggled with Ross's infamous infidelity while they were "on a break." Owen knew it was a different scenario, the sting had lessened with time, and - truth be told - he was more upset with himself than Claire. Like the bet itself, focusing on past mistakes was no way to forge a future with her, especially considering all the inherent uncertainty of their current situation.

Owen had other past mistakes to face with the lawyers. It was helpful to have Xavier there to provide feedback, but the process reminded Owen of Naval inquiries after operations with less than desirable outcomes. There was a tendency to "circle the wagons" and identify a scapegoat. The Masrani lawyers appeared to harshly judge Owen's decision to enter the _Indominus_ enclosure. Xavier astutely commented on their hindsight bias and the fact that two Paddock 11 staff members also entered the enclosure. He pointed out that Owen or another behaviorist should have been consulted much earlier in the life of the animal. Owen highlighted that none of the park staff could've possibly have predicted the _Indominus_ ' capabilities due to InGen's keeping her genetic composition classified. He was indirectly defending Claire as he worried about her own interrogation that same day.

Exhausted from the day's experience and his internal struggles, Owen was zoned out over dinner on Tuesday night. Claire seemed less affected but obviously concerned for him.

"Talk to me," she said softly while taking his hand. "You've been extra quiet tonight." There had already been several nights of very little talking since they left the island. Similar to when they first made love, they didn't always need words. Owen and Claire maintained being on a very similar wavelength in spite of their time apart. It made him fall in love with her all over again when they reconnected during the incident.

"I should never have gone into the enclosure," he sighed. "I shouldn't have allowed ANYONE to go in there until you verified her coordinates. I jumped the gun."

"We both did, Owen. I called ACU to report an asset out of containment even before I called Lowery."

"I feel responsible for the deaths of the two paddock staff members." That's what this was really about. Claire squeezed his hand.

"No," she said calmly. "They entered the enclosure of their own accord. You didn't coerce them. None of us knew what we were up against. We were all flailing to an extent." Claire wasn't detached or deflated but seemingly at peace with it. He was in awe of her.

"You're truly amazing," he said and kissed her hand. "I was really concerned about you today, being put under the microscope and having similar guilt. All for nothing, I guess."

"Well," she blushed, "not for nothing. It wasn't easy, but it's not my first rodeo. I've been through many root cause analyses before, both real world and exercises. Disney lawyers can be vampires." She laughed, and it made Owen feel lighter. "Emily is fantastic. She was an immeasurable help to Lowery and I. Lowery was hit hard today with guilt." Owen wasn't expecting to hear this. Lowery hadn't talked to him about the incident at all.

"What did HE do?" he asked with mild alarm.

"He disobeyed a direct order from Simon."

"When?"

"When you were in the enclosure." Claire paused and started to choke up. "After the paddock supervisor opened the door to escape, Simon stood over Lowery and told him to close the door. Lowery saw it was you on the monitors. He refused to close it with you in there. He felt paralyzed watching you running toward the door. Simon reached around Lowery to press the button to close it himself."

"Lowery thinks he's responsible for the escape because he tried to save me." It was sobering to say aloud. Claire nodded. Owen felt a sudden urge to call Lowery and thank him. It was therapeutic to hear others' perspectives, especially the way Claire explained it. She was a very good operations manager. As she spoke, he felt himself relaxing and loosened his grip on her hand.

"Emily was a JAG before she worked for Disney," Claire continued. "She told Lowery that it was misplaced, like survivor's guilt after combat. The vast majority of the time, no one person's actions are that powerful. Errors - military, medical, or theme park - are usually multi-factorial. When I was at Disney, our general counsel compared it to Swiss cheese: lots of holes, missteps create a disaster. You can almost never rest the blame on a single person or even a few. Add into the mix that everything was happening so quickly and human memory is fallible. That's why we rely so much on forensic analysis, and no one's going back to the island to collect THAT kind of data...yet." Owen perked up at this comment.

"You know they'll send a team back?" he asked with borderline excitement. He was thinking about Blue. Claire's face fell. She was probably reading his mind. They were both getting better at telepathy when it came to each other.

"You want to go," she stated matter-of-fact.

"So do you," he smirked. With this, Claire pursed her lips and sighed. She stood and walked behind his chair.

She put her arms around him and whispered, "Not so soon." He rubbed her arms. "Worry about me tomorrow. That's when I have to talk about decisions I made in the control room." Owen knew what she meant. He and Xavier already prepped for that discussion. Owen didn't have any guilt about leaving the control room when Claire told him to. She reached a hand inside the front of his shirt and nipped his earlobe with her teeth. "I'm sorry for not listening to you." She trailed her hand across his back and down his arm before taking his hand and tugging him out of the chair.

Owen needed no encouragement to follow her into their bedroom. The comfort of sharing an apartment, a bed, and their bodies with each other was beyond compare. It made life worth living and made him feel capable of surviving whatever came their way. Claire clearly wanted it slow tonight. Her kisses were gentle, and she took her time getting them undressed. When he was naked, she was still in her bra and panties. She stopped him from unhooking her bra and pushed him into a seated position on the edge of the bed.

Owen hadn't "allowed" Claire to go down on him since they got back together. He didn't encourage her to do it, and he redirected her if she tried. He was haunted by her words outside his bungalow, now almost two months ago. Her fear of being used by him for blow jobs. He still didn't fully understand how or why she came to that conclusion, but he didn't want to explore it with her. He was trying to focus on making her happy in the now and dispelling any lingering doubts that she had. As she positioned herself between his legs, Owen didn't fight it. Enough time had passed, and he knew she liked doing it. She was so damn good at it, too.

When Claire took his length into her mouth, he almost fell backward. He propped himself up with his arms for support. God, he missed her doing this. It was dumb to deny them both. Owen closed his eyes and remembered the last time. It was in her shower after he'd gone down on her. He missed that glorious shower, too. He couldn't help rocking his hips in time with her sucking. Claire had wrapped her arms around his thighs from below and kneaded with her fingers near his groin. She used her hands to steady his pulsing as he came. He choked out a hoarse, "I love you," as his orgasm played out.

Owen was breathless and fell back onto the mattress after she swallowed and pulled away from him. Claire climbed on top of him and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you," she whispered. He wasn't exactly sure what for but was too sated to ruminate on it. He reflexively said, "You're welcome," and put his arms around her. They laid there for a few minutes. Owen slowly realized that she'd divested herself of her undergarments and was getting hard again.

"Your turn," he finally said.

"I had plenty of turns," she replied. He could feel her smiling. "You've been quite generous." He had gone down on her a lot in the last ten days. It was still such a turn on to be the only one who had. Owen wouldn't mind skipping it now though. He rolled them onto their sides to kiss her. He could kiss her until their lips were bruised. Claire wrapped one leg around him to position his dick at her entrance - she wasn't satisfied with just his mouth. She moaned his name and tightened her leg around him as he pushed inside her.

Owen played with her nipples and felt her getting even more wet around him. She had completely ruined him for condoms. The sensations were so much more intense "bareback." He could tell when she was close and locked eyes with her. It gave him additional pleasure to see her own. He loved her with every fiber of his being. She had also ruined him for other women. When they climaxed together, he never felt so close to heaven.

He let go of her very briefly to pull the covers over their bodies. Claire hungrily pulled him back into their embrace. It gave him immense joy.

"I want to stay lost in your arms forever, Owen."

"Me, too" was all he could say. There were not adequate words in existence to articulate how he felt in that moment.

Owen had a much shorter day on Wednesday compared to Claire. He used the extra time to make another visit to his storage unit. He needed his winter clothes for the weekend in Wisconsin. He knew she wouldn't mind if he went there without her. When she accompanied him the first time, Claire was clearly jealous that he had his own clothes to wear. Their shopping trip for her was more fun for him, even if they both enjoyed the romp in the fitting room. As Owen sifted through boxes in their bedroom, he almost felt like everything within them belonged to someone else. These were items he didn't know if he'd ever use again, and it felt like a lifetime ago that he'd packed them away.

He heard Claire walk in the front door and called out that he was in the bedroom. His ears were attune to the distinctive sound of her unscrewing their bottle of gin and pouring herself a glass. Owen knew it must have been a bad day. He waited for her to come to him.

"Flannel pajama bottoms?" she asked playfully from the doorway. "I'm putting those on right now." Claire passed him her glass as she unzipped her skirt and threw it and her pumps across the room. Owen enjoyed watching her put on his pants and then swap out her blouse for one of his t-shirts. "Thank you," she said as she kissed him on the cheek and took back her glass for another drink. "I hope you don't mind." She looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Never," he replied while wrapping his arms around her. "My clothes look better on you anyway."

"They feel like home to me." She was putting up a good front, but Owen could tell she was sad.

"Your turn...to talk."

She smirked, "It was tough reliving things today...being second-guessed by people other than you. It was easier getting criticized by you, even if I didn't want to hear or agree with it at the time, because I knew you cared about me. Those people today, they just want to blame someone. They don't care about you or me." She hugged him tightly. "When you came into the control room, I was so happy you were alive. I held back from showing it because I was supposed to be strong for my team and Simon."

"I was glad you weren't there...at the enclosure," said Owen, stroking her hair. "Thankful you got away and didn't see me afraid." She pulled away to look at him, and he caressed her cheek. "To put it mildly, that was a humbling experience. When I showed up at control, I was in Alpha Mode and out to prove that I was tough...and fearless. I was still very afraid, for me, for you, for Lowery, for everyone."

"I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did."

"Ditto."

She smiled at him. "I don't want to discuss that anymore today." He nodded. "We DO need to talk about your pack rat tendencies." She was being sarcastic, but he appreciated that kernel of truth in her statement. Claire looked pointedly at the things he'd laid out on the bed and peeked into the boxes. "You seriously held onto this Navy parka?"

"It's really warm, and I spent a lot of money on it. Officers don't get clothing allowances."

She snorted a little then sighed, "You still have all the matching accessories, too." Claire ran her fingers over the fleece gloves and hat. Owen recognized her morose look from their shopping trip for her. She'd have to go shopping again in preparation for Wisconsin.

"Don't you have stuff somewhere?" he asked sympathetically. "A storage unit in Florida? Someone's basement?"

"No," she answered with agitation in her voice. "I don't hold onto things I don't need. I move on. I...close the book." Claire's eyes teared up. Owen flashed back to the canvas bag she packed with items from their relationship. She read his mind. "I made an exception for you when I kept _Goldeneye_." She was breaking down. He rushed over to hold her. She started to sob. "My whole life is back there on that island. Everything that's important to me."

"Just things, Claire, and past tense." He pulled up her chin to gaze into her eyes. "I'm here with you. Present tense."

"New memories," she sniffed. He nodded. She needed him now like she'd needed him on the night Karen first called about her divorce. It made him feel awesome, like always.

"I made so many exceptions for you," he whispered as he pulled her close. "You've always been worth it."

"Lucky," she said under her breath as she rested her head on his shoulder.


	2. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that I had fully written before the _Fallen Kingdom_ trailer dropped. The trailer had some influence on the subsequent chapters (there are a few “Easter eggs” sprinkled in), but I kept to my originally-intended narrative.

Thursday was a short day for both Claire and Owen. Neither of them were involved in the control room decisions and events that led to Simon Masrani's death. They only had to relate where they were in the park at the time. It was the part of the day that both of them were relatively happy to relive. Owen could tell that Claire was in a good mood as they drove to the Las Americas outlet mall near the Mexican border.

When nearing the exit off the freeway for the outlets, Owen joked, "Should I just keep driving?" He pointed to the sign for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Claire laughed, "I left our passports at the apartment, so we wouldn't be tempted."

"Are you tempted?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Not after today. Emily told me that they'll likely hang it on Simon. She said we're lucky he's dead. Otherwise, his personal lawyers might've fried us all." She appeared particularly detached while relating this. Owen knew that Claire was never fond of Simon Masrani. Owen himself hadn't worked with Mr. Masrani enough to have any strong feelings or opinions about him.

"Xavier said something similar about Hoskins. You and I had better survival instincts in a crisis situation than either of them, and that speaks volumes about our judgment." She smiled warmly at him. Just then, they both noticed a sign for the outlets that read, "A Simon Property."

"The universe has a sick sense of humor sometimes," Owen deadpanned.

They walked around the shopping center, enjoying the sunshine and the calm. Early January was a very quiet time in retail and would've been a similarly quiet time at Jurassic World. Owen wondered if Claire was thinking about this, too. When they were dating on the island, she told him that January was perennially her favorite month of the year. The Disney parks reached a nadir in capacity, and expectations from above were lowest. Claire had room to "breathe" and could analyze problems from the preceding year to improve processes and efficiency. It was also the easiest time of year to conduct staff training and safety exercises. The stark contrast between the current legal analysis and her expectations for this month must've been deeply disappointing to her.

Owen officially knew Claire was stalling when they walked into the Kate Spade outlet. Her pretending to be interested in purses and stationery was borderline ridiculous. She needed to buy winter clothes, boots, and a North Face parka. The parka was the main reason for coming to the outlets, after all. Claire had been a snob about not returning to the limited winter-wear selection at Nordstrom or checking out the REI in San Diego proper. She insisted on going to "the source." Owen understood North Face snobbery from his time at Boston University but never found it adorable as he did with Claire.

"Enough," he finally said with a playful shake of his head. "I want to get home before dark." She rolled her eyes and put up her hands in mock defeat. He took her hand and led them straight to the North Face store.

As soon as they walked into the store, a switch seemed to flip in Claire. She was focused, precise, and determined. Owen didn't mind being her caddy and carried the various items she selected.

"You'll need long underwear, too," she said bluntly, pointing toward the shelves of monochromatic thermal sets.

"Very sexy," he teased.

"Sexier than frostbite." She elbowed him in the ribs. "The temperature at the START of the game will be in the low 20s. Lambeau doesn't have a sunroof to close like Cowboys Stadium."

"I don't remember you complaining about the Super Bowl there." He elbowed her in the same way. "It won't be as cold as the Ice Bowl, Claire." It delighted Owen to make reference to the famous game between the Packers and the Cowboys that spawned Lambeau's nickname: The Frozen Tundra. "Our teams have a rich history together."

Claire kissed him and whispered, "Like I want with you." He didn't have to say anything in response. She knew how he felt. He was happy that she seemed to be getting closer to verbalizing it.

She was ultimately satisfied by their productive shopping excursion. Claire bought all the winter gear she needed, and they both got new suitcases. She planned to pack for them the following afternoon. While she had little additional information to provide before the weekend "recess," Owen would have a long Friday recounting the raptors' field test from his perspective. This was an enormous heartbreak for him. As Claire lamented her lost personal belongings on the island, he brooded over his pack. Owen had concerns about being able to keep his emotions in check during the impending interrogation but didn't want to admit this to Claire. He'd changed the subject when she brought it up on the car ride home.

When they returned to the apartment building, she was giddy with excitement upon discovering a padded envelope in their mailbox.

"It's a surprise for you," she said gleefully. She waited until they were in their bedroom to give it to him.

"Claire," he groaned after he opened the envelope. It was a Dallas Cowboys knitted winter hat and scarf set. "Why don't you paint a target on my back while you're at it?"

"What?" she taunted. "Don't you have the GUTS to wear these at Lambeau?" He glared at her, but she just giggled. "Zach and the other season ticket holders who sit adjacent to us are going to tease you mercilessly regardless." Owen could only resist her so much when she was this happy.

"Fine," he relented. "Long underwear AND these accessories, but that's it. You can't dictate anything else in my wardrobe." One side of her mouth curled up, and she put her hands on his chest.

"I want to dictate our next activity," she said seductively.

"Yes, ma'am." He tossed his gifts aside and fell back onto the bed, pulling her down with him.

* * *

Owen awoke to Claire planting soft kisses on his back. It was startling, at first, because he usually didn't move in his sleep - at least not while holding onto Claire. His restless mind must've pulled him away from her overnight. He wanted to get back to her. Owen hummed contentedly before rolling over. She looked contemplative and traced a couple of marks on his chest with her finger.

"I can tell which ones are fresh, from the Dimorphodon," she mused sadly.

"They'll fade with time," he whispered. "Just like the rest. They might've been worse, if not for you." He kissed her and ran his hands down her body. "You came out of it remarkably unscathed." He rubbed her most sensitive area through her pajama shorts, and she gasped.

"What are you doing?" she stammered breathily.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Owen said dismissively before moving in to kiss her neck.

"I should be doing something for you," she said between soft moans. "You have the stressful day ahead."

"Believe me, this is helping my stress." He relished in her surrendering under his touch. It did improve his mood.

"Owen," she was suddenly lucid and firm in tone. "You don't need to stay in Alpha Mode." He froze. "It's okay to be worried. I think it would help if we talked about it."

"Stop," he angrily cut her off and pulled his body back. She was reading his mind again or just picked up on the signals. He wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Lean on me for support," Claire pleaded. "I want to do things for you, like I did with the Dimorphodon...with less physical stakes."

"I let you go down on me," he growled as he continued to avoid eye contact. Owen knew that wasn't what she meant. He imagined the hurt look on her face at his snide remark. He recognized that he was acting like a petulant child. He never enjoyed being called out on weaknesses. It especially stung when Claire wouldn't say she loved him. It made him feel like she was judging him while he was already out on a limb in a uniquely vulnerable way.

She gently kissed his forehead and whispered, "Need me like I need you." Owen finally looked at her. He never could stay mad at her. She still dazzled him and now had a profound hold on his heart.

"I do need you," he sighed. "I've never lived with anyone before. It's not always easy for me." As they stared into each other's eyes, he realized that truly showing love - baring your soul to someone else - wasn't the same as expressing it verbally or sexually. Claire definitely had him beat in terms of laying her soul bare. They weren't competing anymore, but Owen occasionally still had that mindset. Maybe it was his nature. Or his Alpha Mode.

"Getting back together happened so fast," she opined. "It's not always easy for me either." It was her turn to look away from him. "Maybe we shouldn't be living together." Owen felt punched in the gut. He didn't initially know how to respond to her statement but was damn glad she started it with a maybe.

When his shock subsided, he kissed her tenderly and said in a reassuring tone, "I want this...us, where we are now." His chest ached for her like it did during the period of the bet. He knew it wasn't fair to expect her to be on the exact same page. Maybe he'd been selfish and minimizing the impact of the bet. No. This was her own brand of mixed messages. Most of the time, Claire acted as if she was all-in and right there with him. It was similar to when they were dating on the island and her insecurities would pop up, seemingly out of nowhere.

Owen wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side. He took a deep breath before he spoke, "I miss them, my raptors. They were my everything before you came along. I raised them." He smiled wistfully. "It felt like my calling. I didn't have that sense when I was in the Navy. It's why I got out. I was searching for purpose...meaning." Claire was resting a hand on his chest. He brought his free hand to hers and entwined their fingers. "I found what I was searching for on the island...and much more." Owen felt her smiling as she clasped his fingers with her own.

"Don't give up that calling," she replied. "Don't let Masrani take it from you."

"What do you mean?"

She rolled to look him in the eye. "Today, show them your dedication to the raptors. Be passionate but calm. Communicate your motivations clearly. Make them see it's your calling. Make them see how invaluable you are. They'll retain you, and you'll get to go back." Claire began to cry. Owen pulled them both up into seated positions and held her close. He waited for her to continue. "I don't know if I succeeded in proving my worth to the island...the company. You still have a chance to stay."

He stroked her hair and shushed her, "Nonsense. You more than proved your worth by the end of that day, and I'm certain you clearly communicated your motivations this week."

"Lowery and Vivian are negotiating severance packages."

"At least part of that is their choice."

"I don't have a choice." He looked at her quizzically, and she sighed. "No one else is going to hire me. At least, not to do something like I've been doing for the past decade. I'm damaged goods."

"Don't ever say that about yourself," Owen practically snapped. He knew her worth even if she was doubting herself. She smiled at him appreciatively.

"I guess you could always keep me around as your assistant," Claire smirked, "if they give me the boot."

"You're not qualified for that job," he teased. They both laughed.

"Have you heard from Barry?" This was another topic Owen had avoided with Claire. Barry returned to France after the incident and submitted a written statement, supporting Owen, for the purposes of the current investigation. He wanted nothing more to do with Masrani or InGen after seeing what went down. Owen understood Barry's perspective, but he couldn't help feeling somewhat betrayed and wished Barry was present as his second.

He simply answered, "No."

"I'm not trying to replace him."

"I know," he sighed. "I miss him, too. He didn't have the same bond with the raptors as I did, but he was always level-headed and maintained healthy boundaries with them." Owen paused and breathed out. "I would sometimes risk more than I should've for my raptors." Claire looked at him with terror in her eyes. He cleared his throat. "Earlier on the day of the incident, Barry actually called me 'crazy' for going into the cage."

"You were willingly INSIDE the raptor enclosure?" She was breathing rapidly now. Her fingers tensed and dug into his skin.

"Yes. It's why I was at home when you came to...consult with me." He grinned at her, but she was in no mood. Owen held her hands. "Barry told me to take a break. I scared everybody. I was annoyed with Hoskins, too. I needed to get my head right."

"So," Claire scoffed sarcastically, "perfect time for me to show up." She was grinning now.

"You didn't catch me at my best." He paused to stroke her cheek. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to resist kissing you when you were standing on my steps."

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "I still got my kiss that day." She breathed out and rested her forehead against his. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked softly. Owen was increasingly distracted. He was hard and wanted to be inside her.

"Opening up to me. Owen, I-" He cut her off with his lips on hers. He couldn't wait any longer. He was hungry for her. She didn't seem to mind and returned his fervor.

"Never doubt that I need you," he said as they shimmied out of their sleepwear.

A breathy "okay" was all she could manage before they melted into one.

* * *

When all was said and done with the lawyers on Friday, Owen was relieved and hopeful. Xavier said that he did very well. The interim Masrani CEO asked to speak with him privately at the end of the day to discuss future employment. Owen was anxious to discuss it with Claire. He arrived home to her packing their suitcases. They had to leave early in the morning - on account of not being able to get a direct flight to Madison from San Diego - so he brought home Chinese take-out for dinner. He was still dismissive of having to overshoot Wisconsin and layover in Detroit, but he trusted Claire's organized approach to booking their air travel.

Owen suppressed a laugh at her organized approach to packing. "You must've been great at _Tetris_ ," he teased.

"Are you kidding?" she replied. "That was too stressful for me. Kind of like the game _Perfection_. They both gave me the shakes."

"That's right," he grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You only played _Goldeneye_."

"Damn straight." She paused and looked at him cautiously. "How did it go?"

"Really well," Owen answered in a low tone as he put his hands on her upper arms. "The company wants to retain me. They're going to put together a continued employment contract over the weekend." Claire took a sharp intake of breath. "I didn't say yes. I need to see the offer." She nodded and looked down. He regarded her carefully. "What about you?"

She cleared her throat, "They...um...said that they 'don't know if there's a place' for me going forward." She swallowed hard, and Owen pulled her close. "They still don't know what's happening with the company or the park. I'll reconvene with them after the weekend. I'm trying not to take it personally." Owen knew she was taking it personally. How could she not when they, at least, knew enough to offer him something already?

"I meant what I said, Claire. I want to stick together."

"Me, too." She was holding up admirably, but he wondered if she'd cried before he got home. He was glad she had a task to busy herself today and that their weekend was jam-packed to keep her distracted. Claire took a deep breath and seemed to shake off the unpleasantness for the moment. "We should talk about the sleeping arrangements at my sister's."

"Huh?" Owen was taken aback.

"Karen doesn't want us sharing a room, for Gray's sake."

"Screw that. Find us a hotel then." He'd only met Karen briefly in Costa Rica before the Mitchells headed back to Wisconsin, but he long ago decided that she was dreadful. He honestly felt protective of the boys as they were leaving with her and Scott. Owen was still defensive on Claire's behalf. It made it challenging for him to talk about Karen, but they probably needed to discuss this before their trip or else he risked losing his temper with their hostess.

"The boys really want us staying at the house," Claire sighed. "Gray is jealous that Zach gets to spend more time with us." Owen's traumatic experience with Claire and her nephews had softened him. He was never big on children and preferred his raptors but admittedly transferred some paternal feelings to the boys.

"Fine," he relented. "For Zach and Gray."

"I'm not happy with it either," Claire groaned. "I had no idea Karen was such a prude. It's not like we're teenagers, and Gray is old enough to understand."

"And how old would that be exactly?" Owen grinned devilishly as he teased her. She rolled her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips.

"Very funny. He's eleven. Five years younger than Zach."

"I guess it wasn't that hard a question after all."

"I was in a state of shock. You had almost died!"

"Sure, blame it on me." He put his arms around her waist and brushed his nose against hers.

"Shut up and kiss me already, Mr. Grady." She pulled him down by the tie around his neck. It reminded him that he needed to change clothes. As his lips found hers, Owen was happy to kill two birds with one stone.

They had to reheat their take-out once they emerged from the bedroom. Claire wanted to cuddle on the loveseat while they ate instead of sitting at the table, and Owen gladly obliged her.

"Why didn't you mention having season tickets before?" he asked. "We talked about games."

"They weren't my tickets until my dad died. Scott's been receiving them since then. I wasn't sure if I'd go back."

"Come on, Claire. You're a diehard. How long have you been going?"

"Since I was five. My dad first took Karen and I - like his dad, my Grandpa Sean, took him and his brother."

"Let me guess," Owen interrupted arrogantly, "Karen wasn't into it."

"You got it." Claire paused to kiss him quickly then sighed. "Grandpa Sean usually went with us instead. Grandpa Sean and my Grandma Susie always lived in Appleton, so they used the tickets when Dad and I lived too far away. I went with my grandparents to every home game during my senior year of high school and many throughout college."

"What about your uncle?"

"I never met him. He died in Vietnam."

"Are your grandparents still alive?"

"No, they both died in 2002."

"Sorry."

"Thanks. They were the best. I don't think I would've survived my senior year without them and the Packers. My mom never went to any games. She used to say my dad loved the Packers more than her."

"Is she in Madison, too?"

"No. She's still in Appleton." This relieved Owen to hear. If he might lose his temper with Karen, he shuddered to think what Claire's mother could provoke in him.

He took a deep breath before asking, "How much...mending of your relationship with Karen did you do after-"

"After I walked away from our date?" She looked at him ruefully, and Owen nodded. He didn't want to bring it up, but they needed to talk about Karen. He also felt responsible for pushing Claire to let Karen back in her life. Claire took a deep breath and held one of his hands in hers. "Not much beyond agreeing to the boys' visit. I treated it like an obligation. I had Zara arrange it all. I put in no effort...or heart. Karen was the same. She and Scott hadn't even told the boys they were divorcing, let alone that Scott was going to move out while they were at the park."

"What shit parents."

"No kidding. But I shouldn't have let the boys be collateral in my feud with Karen. I felt so guilty when they went missing in the Valley. That's why I had to get them myself."

"Guilt makes people do crazy things."

"Don't we know it." Claire was silent for several seconds as she leaned against him. Owen wanted to say he loved her, but he held back. He was hoping she would say it. He thought maybe she was going to say it that morning before his libido cut her off. "I'm a shit godmother," she finally said.

"To whom?"

"Zach. He was born during my senior year of high school. We...had been close when he was really young. My dad adored him. He started taking him to games at five, too. Zach replaced me at Lambeau when I went to Wharton. I still came back for games with them here and there, when my schedule allowed it." Claire started to cry. "Zach was so mad at me - as a nine-year old - when I 'robbed' him of the last game with 'Pop-Pop.' He yelled at me after the funeral and said he never wanted to see me again."

"It was grief," Owen said softly. "He was so young. He didn't know what he was saying."

"Well," Claire sniffed, "I gave him what he wanted. He wasn't happy to see me when he and Gray arrived on the island. I could still feel his anger even though it was ice cold. It gave me a chill." She shivered, and Owen pulled her fully into his lap. Absent of verbalizing their feelings, he wanted to make love to her again. Besides, they might not be having sex for the next two days. She must've been aware of his mounting desire and put her hands on his chest to keep him at bay. "There's something else you need to know, before we get to Wisconsin...something that Karen or Zach might mention...out of spite."

"Okay," he responded cautiously. He seriously doubted that Zach would still be spiteful toward Claire. Although Zach likely had similar trepidations about attending a game again with Claire, Owen saw the teen hugging her goodbye in Costa Rica. He seemed genuine and grateful to her. Owen could only imagine the anger Zach might've unleashed on his own parents for their clandestine separation. It frankly angered Owen and reinforced his negative opinion of Karen.

Claire sighed, "The ex who came with me to my dad's last game, Evan...he worked with my dad. My dad introduced us. I relied on Evan for support in Florida when my dad got sick, retired, and moved back to Wisconsin. I cared for Evan, but he wanted more. I never felt the same way about him that he felt about me." Owen was listening intently and holding Claire tightly but couldn't help relating to the other man. "My whole family liked him. They interpreted his coming to Lambeau with me as more than I meant by it." She locked eyes with Owen. He knew she could sense his discomfort. She frowned and added, "I'm not repeating history. You mean so much more to me than Evan ever did. I wouldn't go back there with anyone but you." Owen took a deep breath and kissed her forehead. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but he'd accept it for the moment.

"Is that all you needed to tell me about him?" Owen found himself whispering, inexplicably.

Claire grimaced, "No, there's something else." She was clearly struggling. "Evan and I...we were technically engaged for five days. It was the day my dad died. We got stupid drunk on...tequila, and he proposed. I don't remember it at all. When I was sober, I refused him, and that's when we broke up." She looked away from Owen. "He didn't go to the funeral with me. Karen asked why, and I told her what happened. She gave me utter hell. It felt like she was unleashing all her rage against our dad onto me, comparing the two of us...calling us 'selfish and heartless.' It stung a lot more than what Zach said to me that same day. I didn't think I'd ever go back to Wisconsin again." Claire began to cry anew, and Owen hugged her. He also bit his tongue. They had changed each other so thoroughly. He wanted her to say it more than ever.

After a few minutes of silence and her recovering from her tears, he asked in a playful tone, "So, you were never on a diet that didn't allow tequila?"

She smirked, "I've actually been on a specifically, non-tequila diet since then."

"I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have known, and I didn't want to bring up an ex on our 'first date.'" She winced. "Another thing I never told you. My college boyfriend, who went to a LOT of games with me, broke up with me in board shorts."

"No fucking way! I'm really sorry about that."

"Again, you couldn't have known. It's just the universe's sick sense of humor."

"I guess I have a few more things to make up to you." Owen started kissing her neck and put one hand under her t-shirt to unhook her bra. He was suddenly overcome by his desire for her.

"Owen, wait. Please?" He stopped and looked at her. "I don't want you to keep thinking that you have to make things up to me. I want to be partners, equals. I thought we had that once already, and that's what I want again." Owen sometimes hated when he was right. He wasn't happy to be right about the _Indominus_ , and he certainly wasn't happy to have his presumed reason for Claire's hesitancy confirmed. Well, at least now he knew.

He held her close and asked, "Do you worry I'm not being genuine?"

"No. I worry that you're over-compensating and you'll eventually resent me for it." It wasn't unreasonable, but it still hurt.

"I love you, Claire. I've never loved anyone before. I thought love was for suckers and turned people into fools. If I'm over-compensating, it's because I don't know how to act otherwise." Claire crushed her mouth to his with the most passionate and fiery kiss he'd ever known. They talked enough. Before losing himself in her embrace, Owen decided that he wouldn't say it again until she did.


	3. Forward Progress

Claire slept through most of their early flight to Detroit. She'd been restless the night before, as evidenced by her pulling away from Owen. She was clearly nervous about her homecoming and barely let go of his hand all morning. He teased her about having sweaty palms from her vice-like grip on him. He was relieved to feel her hand slacken in his as she drifted off on the plane. Owen fell asleep for a short time and awoke to her smiling at him.

"What is it?" he asked self-consciously with a yawn.

"Just watching you sleep," Claire replied. "I don't usually have that view." They normally slept with him spooning her from behind. "I may have to tiptoe downstairs to get another peak while you're on Karen's pull-out couch."

Owen groaned, "Don't remind me."

"You can have the guest bedroom, if you prefer."

"That would be very un-gentlemanly."

"Suit yourself," she beamed before kissing him lightly on the lips and rubbing her nose against his. He censored himself from saying that he wouldn't be able to sleep without her. Although Owen remained bitter about her accusing him of "over-compensating,” he was very much going to miss being draped around her the next two nights.

They spent the rest of the flight talking about the season ticket-holders who would be sitting next to them at the game. Claire had known them since she was a kid. Ernie Myles was a surgeon from Milwaukee and usually brought his son, Sawyer, who worked for the Brewers. Cal Anderson was a bank manager from Oshkosh who only had one ticket. Claire's dad sometimes gave him their third ticket so that Cal could bring his wife, Rosie.

Claire considered Ernie and Cal to be surrogate father figures and Sawyer like a brother. She lit up when talking about them. Owen knew it was important for her to reconnect with this part of her past, even if she wasn't cognizant of that yet. She seemed to have "thrown the baby out with the bath water" when she turned away from Wisconsin. Owen might've judged her for it if he didn't recognize that same tendency in himself.

During their layover in Detroit, Claire called Zach. Owen was unsurprised by how the incident had re-bonded them, and he witnessed her willfully choosing not to call her own sister.

"What do you mean you 'don't know what happened to them'?" she barked into her phone. Owen could hear Zach laughing on the other end. Claire groaned, "Stop emphasizing 'seven years.' Are you messing with me or do I have to buy new ones?" She paused to listen and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Owen and I will buy some before we drive to the house...I'll call you again when we land at Dade County...You, too, Zach." She softened delivering those last three words and ended the call.

"Teenagers!" Claire grumbled to Owen.

"What are we buying?" he asked, smirking.

"Heated seat cushions."

"Is that really necessary?" he teased. "Or are you being a princess?"

She playfully jabbed his arm and said, "I don't need both of you giving me a hard time about this. My dad and granddad weren't too proud to use them."

"Zach's probably kidding. I'm sure he has them."

"I cannot take that chance. You don't want to either - trust me!"

"I can handle it, and you're not allowed to dictate any more of my accessories."

"We're stopping at a sporting goods store regardless. I also want hand and boot warmers." Owen rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to taunt her again, but she raised an index finger in front of his face. "That's enough. I am very cranky when I'm cold." He gladly switched tactics and put his arms around her.

"I'll keep you warm, Claire." They made out in the middle of the concourse. Owen didn't care what anybody else thought about it. Judging by her reckless abandon, neither did she. He tuned out the rest of the world.

* * *

"How did you end up with Disney, anyway?" Owen asked after their took their seats for the quick flight to Madison. He knew Claire liked the water parks in Wisconsin, but she was at the top of her class at the best business school in the country. She could've worked anywhere.

"My dad, Patrick." She paused. Owen realized that she'd never said his first name to him before. "He was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base - I know, weird coincidence. Anyway, it's near Orlando. Wharton requires an internship in the summer between first and second year, so I asked my dean about opportunities with Disney. They are a fantastically run company all-around, and there were a lot of possibilities. I did phone interviews with various branches, but working in park operations just seemed to fit and excited me. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did."

"Your calling," mused Owen, taking her hand.

"Yeah," Claire blushed. "It also helped that my dad was close by. I hadn't been able to spend that much time with him in years. He was super supportive, so my mood and investment in the job were enhanced." Her eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she quickly glanced out the window. "He got sick late the following year, and I returned the favor to him." Owen felt her pulse quicken as he held her hand. She was getting nervous again. "He was trying to mend things with Karen and be close to the boys when he decided to retire in Wisconsin. I was jealous and felt unappreciated. I focused on work to cope." Claire bit her lip and turned fully toward the window. She was done talking for now. He watched her countenance shift to a melancholy, pensive one. After the incident and reliving everything this week, her calling was no longer a solace for her and might never be again. It made Owen's heart ache. His thoughts drifted to their future. They probably needed a fresh start. He didn't know what that meant exactly, but he hoped they would figure it out together.

Claire easily located a sporting goods store between the airport and Karen's house. She picked out three seat cushions and told Owen that she'd return them if Zach was just messing with her. As they walked toward the check-out, Owen spotted a display of knitted Packers hats and scarves.

"I'm buying you a set," he said with determination. "We can match."

"No no no no," Claire protested. "I don't do hats."

"Bullshit. You wore a baseball cap when we played golf."

"Damnit." She was caught. "Well," she deflected, "I was trying to downplay my looks."

"Why would you do that?"

"I wanted you to like me for me."

"The bossy you," he teased. "You treated me like some sort of golf dummy."

"You didn't seem to mind...by the end of the game." She smoldered at him.

"You had me at the 7th hole." Owen pulled her into a kiss and surreptitiously grabbed a knit cap off the display. When she moved her arms to his neck, he stealthily brought the cap to her head. Claire whimpered meekly as he pulled it down over her ears.

"Fine," she purred. "You win."

* * *

Gray greeted Claire and Owen with enormous hugs. Zach shook Owen's hand then gave an awkward but affectionate hug to Claire. Karen regarded them all with a mix of annoyance and disdain. Her eventual smile at their arrival seemed forced and disingenuous to Owen. Now that the initial shock of the incident and gratitude for the boys' survival had worn off, Karen appeared suspicious of the pair. She lingered in the periphery while Gray and Zach talked about their newfound celebrity at school as survivors of Jurassic World. None of them mentioned Scott, but Claire had already informed Owen that he'd moved out.

Over dinner, Claire and Owen spoke vaguely about their relief in finishing the testimonials to Masrani Global.

"What are you two gonna do now?" Karen asked pointedly after having been quiet for most of the meal. A hush fell over the table. It appeared that she'd been biding her time to ask this question. Owen wanted to defer the answer to Claire - as Karen's intentions weren't clear to him - but the silence stretched on to an uncomfortable length. Karen raised her eyebrows and looked at them both expectantly. Just as Owen was about to open his mouth, Gray excitedly blurted out, "Will you move here?"

A look of horror flashed across Claire's face, but she quickly recovered, "We don't know what's happening with our jobs yet. The company is still sorting out the details. It's really too early to say."

"You're not actually considering working for them again, are you?" Karen asked with acid in her voice. She was looking directly at Claire without acknowledgement of Owen's presence.

"We're still under contract," Claire spat back with emphasis on the pronoun. Owen felt relieved by her including him but otherwise wanted to stay out of this family quarrel.

"The park doesn't exist anymore. Your contract is null and void." The two women stared each other down while the three men exchanged nervous glances.

"Maybe the park will re-open," Gray interjected innocently.

Karen didn't break eye contact with Claire when she scoffed, "Fat chance."

Owen took Claire's hand under the table and cleared his throat, "Nobody knows what's going to happen with the island at this point."

"Do you want to go back, Owen?" Zach asked with curiosity.

"Blue's still there," Gray added.

"At some point, yes, I would like to go back," Owen answered honestly and tried not to betray any emotion. Claire squeezed his hand. Gray's eyes widened, and even Zach looked a little shocked. Karen dismissively shook her head. Before anyone else could speak, Gray launched into a barrage of questions about the island, the dinosaurs, and ecosystems. Some of his questions were more rhetorical in nature, and he also repeated facts that he'd read or heard. Claire chuckled and appeared to relax. Even Karen seemed to soften a bit at her son's spirited inquisition. She eventually excused herself and asked the boys to help her with the dishes.

Claire breathed a huge sigh of relief when she and Owen were alone again. "Maybe we should've gotten a hotel room," she smirked. "It was too much wishful thinking that we could just talk about football." He leaned in to kiss her amorously.

"Get a room," Zach startled them with his snarky quip. "Oh, that's right, you're not allowed to have one." The three of them shared a knowing laugh before Zach offered to carry Claire's suitcase upstairs.

As Claire settled into the guest bedroom, the boys gave Owen a tour of the house. It was small and staid. Owen wondered how much Scott had taken with him when he moved out. Gray was thrilled to show Owen his books, models, and telescope. Karen interrupted the tour to say that Gray needed to get to bed, and this elicited a loud, frustrated groan from the tween. Owen walked past Zach's room and "caught" him pulling out three seat cushions from under his bed. Owen rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe.

"You really fooled her," Owen said with a lopsided grin. "But I had faith you had them."

"I used to prank Claire all the time," Zach opined with apparent bitterness. "She's forgotten too easily."

Owen walked into the room and spoke in a whisper, "Give her a break, huh? You and your mom really hurt her the last time she was here." Owen couldn't help defending her. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, he felt like he'd betrayed Claire's trust. He hoped Zach wouldn't be spiteful with this knowledge.

"She hurt me, too," replied Zach, shifting his eyes to a bookshelf. Owen followed his gaze and saw a framed photograph of Zach, Claire and a frail-looking older man. They had matching grins on their faces, and the family resemblance was uncanny. "There was a time when Pop-Pop called us the Three Musketeers." Zach looked at Owen. "He still took me to every game while he was getting chemo, but he was never happier than when Claire was there with us. I never saw her happier than when we were at Lambeau together. I missed out on that one last time before he died." A deeper understanding of the situation washed over Owen. Nine-year old Zach wasn't able to articulate that pain as he could now.

"She doesn't get that," Owen said sympathetically. "Please let her know."

One side of Zach's mouth curled up. "You're a good guy, Owen. She gets THAT for sure. I remember how she was with that other guy. My mom thought he was wonderful, but I could tell he didn't make Claire happy." Owen had a sudden uncomfortable thought and made a mental note to ask Claire about it later.

"Thanks." Owen put a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," Zach taunted. "I won't be friendly to you tomorrow...when the Pack crushes the Cowboys!" It felt good to laugh with Zach. Owen was looking forward to the game even more now.

"I'm gonna check on Claire," Owen said quietly as he turned toward the hallway. He observed Zach rolling his eyes. "What?"

"Not even Gray expects you to sleep separately." Zach chuckled silently. "See you in the morning."

Owen found Claire setting up her toiletries in the hall bathroom. He hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear, "How are you holding up?"

"Better now," answered Claire, leaning back against him. "My sister's about as warm as a polar bear's ass."

He suppressed a laugh. "Is she not always?"

"She's not typically this bad. Must be Scott's leaving. Or you."

"Me?"

"She doesn't approve of us."

"Why not?"

"She declined to elaborate. I think it's safe to say that she's using Gray as an excuse to put you on the sofa."

"Claire," he started to ask hesitantly, "Did you stay here last time...with-"

"Evan?" She shivered dramatically after he nodded. "No. We stayed at my dad's." Owen didn't realize he'd been holding his breath. He relaxed, satisfied to learn that Claire's ex hadn't slept on the same mattress. She turned her head to kiss him quickly, then led him to the guest room. Owen shut the door behind them. When he turned to face her, he laughed out loud.

"Claire, are you kidding?"

"What?" The corners of her mouth started to turn up, but she was trying to play coy.

"Neither Gray nor your sister are why we're not sharing that twin-sized bed!"

"Oh, come on," she said lasciviously, "we could make it work."

"Not for sleeping." He leaned down to kiss her, but there was a knock on the door. Owen groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We definitely should've stayed at a hotel." Claire kissed him on the cheek before opening the door. It was Karen. She looked fit to be tied.

"Don't undermine my authority," she snapped after stepping into the room. "Things are bad enough here since Scott moved out and the boys think they're superhuman, living through that rampage." Owen suddenly flashed back to when he was in the control room and realized that Claire and Karen had more in common than either woman wanted to admit.

Claire crossed her arms and postured in response. "As if we have a choice," she sneered. "What with your childhood bedroom set in here." Karen sharpened her gaze and fumed silently at Claire before turning to Owen.

"I'd appreciate a moment alone with my sister," she said with the fake smile he'd witnessed earlier. Owen looked to Claire who gave him a small nod. After he left the room, he heard raised voices followed quickly by Karen's sobbing. He went downstairs to retrieve his dopp kit.

By the time Owen ascended the stairs, Karen was hurriedly leaving the guest bedroom. She shut herself inside the master bedroom without a word or glance toward him. Claire poked her head out her door and looked relieved to see him. She gestured him back inside.

"Scott took the furniture from this room when he moved out," Claire whispered with a grimace.

"Makes sense," Owen answered in a normal volume. The door was closed. "Was that all she was blubbering about?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "There was guilt-tripping, too, about how I can't understand because I've never been married and don't have kids. Yadda yadda yadda." Claire breathed out and sat on the edge of the bed. "I think she's jealous about how excited Zach is for tomorrow. Serves her right. She never tried to connect with me, Dad, or Zach in that way." Owen sat down next to her.

He cleared his throat, "Zach has a picture of the three of you at a game in his room." She looked back at him with surprise. "I didn't see it at your cottage. Do you have a copy?"

"That is my copy," she answered flatly. "I gave it to Zach when I came back for the funeral." She sighed. "It was a peace offering, but he didn't seem to care at the time." Owen figured that it was a poor substitute for the real thing Zach didn't get. Claire's eyes got a little misty. "I'm glad he kept it."

"More than kept it, Claire. It's on display. How's that for cold anger toward you?" Owen stopped himself from revealing more of his private conversation with Zach, lest he really end up in the dog house. It wasn't Claire's doing - Scott was the most likely culprit for any blame - but he felt punished already having to sleep on the thin and creaky sofa bed.

Claire leaned her head against his shoulder and said softly, "I'll miss you tonight." Owen was starting to feel very hot under the collar. He knew what would happen if he said too much or let her touch him more.

"Me, too." He twiddled with the dopp kit in his hands. "I'm setting an alarm for 6:30." He patted her knee lightly and smiled before standing to leave. "Can't wait for tomorrow."

"Likewise," Claire said in her tiny, cracking voice that he knew meant she was fighting back tears. His heart ached, and he burned for her. But, he was still hurt. Why wouldn't she say it? Was it just her fear of his over-compensating? His resolve was tested like never before. He wouldn't break his promise to himself. As soon as he was in the hallway, Owen wanted to beat his head against a wall.

He woke up disoriented in the middle of the night. Nothing in particular had disturbed him. The house was dead quiet. Perhaps it was the ghosts of boyfriends' past. Maybe it really was not having Claire. He rubbed his face with both hands. When he opened his eyes again, he was jolted by a form in the chair across from the sofa. It was Claire, sleeping peacefully and curled against one of the arms of the chair. It was soothing to watch her angelic face and steady breaths. After a while, Owen winced at her awkward position and worried that she'd be stiff come morning.

He picked her up and carried her upstairs to the guest bedroom. She began to stir when he attempted to pull back the covers without dropping her. As Owen placed Claire on the bed, he felt her fingers at the collar of his undershirt. Her touch lit him on fire. She brought her mouth to his and kissed him soundly. She was definitely not asleep. She pulled back with a whispered plea: "Make love to me." Their eyes locked, and Owen knew he couldn't say no. He wouldn't deny them what they both wanted.

He briefly left her on the bed to close and lock the door. He removed his clothes on the way back to her. Owen helped Claire out of her new fleece pajamas that he assisted in picking at the outlet mall. The fabric was soft, but he preferred the feel of her silken skin. He laid her gently back on the bed and covered that newly exposed skin with kisses. He would've been extra tender and slow tonight anyway, but the twin bed was definitely going to limit their movements. Fortunately, Owen was a much more skilled and confident lover now compared to the last time he had sex in a bed of its size.

He couldn't help feeling like a teenager again, given the circumstances. Claire was clearly struggling to remain as quiet as possible. She bit her lip hard and gripped the headboard as he worked her up with his hands and tongue. The "danger" of being overheard or discovered by the household - coupled with their hostess' overt forbidding - made it especially erotic and naughty. Owen brought her near to the brink before climbing on top of her.

"Say my name," Owen demanded gently.

"Owen," she moaned softly. As soon as the word escaped her lips, he was kissing her fiercely and thrusting deeply inside her. He had to reduce his pace when the posts of the headboard started smacking against the wall. They both giggled. When he looked into her eyes, he wanted to say it so badly. He moved his mouth down to her breasts instead. She let go of the headboard to run her hands through his hair. She was delicious and fantastic as always. Not long after, Owen felt her entire body shuddering. He brought his mouth back to hers to muffle their cries as he let go and they came together.

They were both still panting when Claire whispered in his ear, "I feel whole when you're inside me." He rolled them onto their sides and held her close. He wanted to prolong that feeling of being whole - it was true for him as well. Owen decided not to leave her bed. He pulled the covers over them and spooned her as usual.

"I told you we could make it work," she practically cooed. It was killing him not to say he loved her.

"Just don't buck or I will fall out," he replied. He was only half-joking. His ass was perilously close to the edge of the mattress.

"I'm much less likely to move in my sleep now, Owen." She drew out saying his name in an adoring way. He melted further into her.

"Good night, Claire." He drew out his words in a similar way. This was as close to saying it as he could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending to this chapter gives me all the feels - please let me know what you think :)


	4. Encroachment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew this story out from my original intention of four chapters - too much fun writing for this OTP! I hope readers like my development of Zach in this chapter.

Owen awoke to Claire's cell phone alarm. Their bodies hadn't shifted in the night. He breathed her in deeply and hugged her tightly in his still dream-like state of consciousness. He was vaguely aware of her movements as he tried to extend the blissful moment. The alarm kept going.

"Snooze it, please," he said groggily through closed eyelids.

"It's off, Owen."

"Oh, shit!" He fell backwards out of the bed naked. He was freezing cold and fumbled for his clothes on the floor. He scrambled to get dressed before his own alarm woke the entire household. Claire started to laugh, and he shushed her. Owen bounded downstairs as quickly and quietly as possible. After turning off his phone's beeping, he laid down on the sofa bed mattress to catch his breath. He smiled to himself over continuing to feel like a naughty teenager.

"Good morning," Claire was suddenly standing over him and back in her fleece pajamas. She was grinning like a maniac.

"Come here," he said while pulling her on top of him. The mattress creaked loudly with their combined weight, and Owen's spine rested against a metal support beam. He winced in pain.

Claire kissed him then said, "You made the right call last night."

"No doubt about it," he smirked before rolling her beneath him. He kissed her back sweetly. She looked so beautiful and happy. His heart fluttered. He almost said it.

"Hey, guys!" Gray startled them with jubilance in his voice. He was completely oblivious to the intimate moment he interrupted. "What do you want for breakfast? I can make eggs and bacon."

"I'll make the coffee," Zach added dryly while walking from the stairs to the kitchen. Claire and Owen sat up to face Gray.

"Zach drinks coffee?" asked Claire, frowning.

"No, he makes it for Mom every morning now," Gray answered sadly. "It's his job since Dad moved out."

"Is breakfast your job?" Owen inquired with a half-smile.

"No, I don't have a job." Gray was matter-of-fact. "But if we wait until Mom gets up, she'll want us to eat something healthy, like oatmeal." Gray's face contorted in disgust.

"Smart thinking," Claire said with a wink. "Why don't you get started? We'll join you in a moment." As Gray walked away, Claire took Owen's hand and looked at him with adoration. He cupped her cheek with his free hand.

"You make me feel like a kid again," he whispered. He started kissing her gently, but she wanted more. As the kiss deepened, Owen wondered if they could stop before ripping off each other's clothes again. Claire pulled back at the sound of Zach grumbling.

"Seriously, you two," Zach admonished them. "Give it a rest. It's not like you were apart last night." Claire blushed and buried her face in Owen's chest. "I was gonna take a shower but if either of you need a cold one, I can wait." Zach was almost cracking up. He clearly enjoyed ribbing them. Claire stood up and faced her nephew.

"There's the prankster I remember," she said with a wistful smile before crossing her arms. "How about those seat cushions?" She looked at Zach expectantly as his gaze shifted briefly to Owen. Zach's face betrayed a mix of surprise and gratitude. Owen hadn't revealed his secret. Zach looked back at his aunt.

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly, "I still have them."

Claire rolled her eyes and pointed towards the staircase, "Shower. We'll help Gray cook breakfast."

"Don't dawdle or get distracted." One side of Zach's mouth curled up. "I want to leave by 7:30."

"Who's the adult here?" Claire scoffed.

"I don't know." Zach grinned. "You're pretty immature."

While getting the food ready, Gray peppered Owen and Claire with questions about San Diego. Owen was able to provide insights and details well beyond her capabilities. He started spilling tales about his time in the Navy there. Gray listened intently with awe, and Claire delighted in his storytelling as well. Owen reflected, yet again, on how much more open she was compared to him. It made him feel guilty, but that was fleeting. He could tell from her face that she was simply grateful for his disclosures. He was getting better at sharing.

When they sat down to eat, Owen immediately felt Claire reaching out to play footsie with him under the table. Maybe they were immature, after all. Immature and deliriously happy. Karen and Zach eventually joined them. Karen appeared to have slept off her bad mood and visibly relaxed upon sipping her coffee. She rubbed Zach's back with an almost imperceptible yet appreciative smile that the teen returned. Owen ate quickly, on account of needing to shower. As he was excusing himself from the table, Zach goaded him, "Better hurry and leave some hot water for Claire."

Claire scoffed, "I showered last night to save time this morning."

Zach flashed her a devious smile. "Are you sure you didn't get dirty overnight?" His aunt's eyes flicked wide before her gaze sharpened. She shook her head lightly while Owen suppressed a laugh. He imagined that Claire was formulating how to get back at her nephew. Karen looked confused, and Gray shrugged. They both continued eating without saying anything.

* * *

Owen and Zach put a few things - "heirloom" seat cushions included - in the car, and Claire fully loaded her new parka. The coat had numerous pockets for her things, so she wouldn't need a purse. She explained that the NFL had strict rules about bag sizes anyway. Owen teased that she could be a secret agent or superhero with all her packed compartments.

"Yes," she deadpanned. "In my battle against the cold."

"I told you I would keep you warm," answered Owen, leaning down to kiss her. They were interrupted once again by Zach "accidentally" bumping into them on the porch and shouting, "Shotgun!"

"Hey!" Claire exclaimed back.

"I told you not to get distracted." Zach was already opening the passenger's side door. "It's almost 7:45," he added with an over-dramatic sigh. He pointed to his watch and got into the car.

"It's probably for the best," Owen relented. "He must already feel like a third wheel."

Claire groaned, "You're right."

"Excuse me?" he teased. "Can I get that in writing?" She slapped him across the chest, but he didn't budge. "You'll have to hit a lot harder than that if you want to do any damage. My Navy parka is tough, and SOMEONE is making me wear this scarf for extra padding." He made an exaggerated grimace, but he was being sarcastic.

"At least we're all on the same level this morning," she muttered as she walked toward the car. She looked a little upset. Owen caught her hand.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm still here for you." He paused for impact. "New memories." She turned back toward him. Her expression was blank, and it unsettled him. This would've been a perfect moment for either of them - preferably both - to say "I love you." Claire's lips parted slowly. Owen was holding his breath again. Like clockwork, Zach honked the car horn. Claire breathed out and smiled with defeat in her eyes.

"Sorry," she said while squeezing his hand. "I am really glad we're here." He could read her mind again. He knew she didn't just mean Wisconsin or Karen's house.

On the car ride to Green Bay, Zach provided a little more insight into "The Three Musketeers" and bragged about his near perfect attendance at Packers home games since Claire's last appearance there. He would often try to get a rise out of her, like when he emphasized his never bringing a date to Lambeau. For the most part, however, Zach just shared his reverence and genuine passion for the team and venue. It reminded Owen of Claire. She was largely quiet in the backseat, gazing out the window and feigning offense to Zach's playful barbs. It was hard for Owen to make eye contact with her while driving. When he did catch glimpses of her, Claire looked content and comfortable. It was a dramatic shift from her white-knuckling on the plane.

They stopped at a rest area near the halfway point to use the bathrooms. Claire rushed ahead of them to the building. Owen didn't immediately know why. Zach didn't make a joke or take a shot at her when he was alone with Owen. They both understood her haste when they later found her waiting for them by the car. She yelled, "Shotgun," louder than was strictly necessary and mock-pouted at her nephew.

"You're not dawdling anymore," Zach quipped. "Seems like you just needed the right incentive." He winked at Owen. Claire rolled her eyes before smugly settling into the passenger seat.

She progressively relaxed even more as they got closer to the stadium. Claire was also increasingly affectionate with Owen but didn't overdo it. Zach sniggered only once after she snuck a quick kiss when Owen turned his head. Shortly after this, Claire cleared her throat, and Owen noticed her shifting into her serious, business mode.

"Zach," she began, "you can't tell Mr. Myles and Mr. Anderson about your involvement in the incident at the park. It's really best if we don't talk about the park at all, what with our jobs being in limbo and the overarching legal situation."

"I can keep a secret," Zach answered defensively. "I'm old enough to understand when things need to be kept on the DL." His tone quickly returned to one of mischief. "Like seeing Owen leave your room this morning." Claire chuckled silently. "And Owen, you'll never make it as a cat burglar."

"Thanks, Zach," Owen retorted facetiously. "I'll remember that when considering my career future." Claire rubbed his arm while fighting back laughter.

"One other thing, Claire. You can call them 'Ernie' and 'Cal' - I do." Owen couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud at this remark.

Claire groaned audibly and asked, "I am never living that down, am I?"

"Nope," Owen responded with a huge grin.

"Inside joke?" Zach inquired with genuine curiosity.

"Claire just really likes to use proper names," said Owen, attempting to diffuse the situation. Claire was suddenly glaring at him menacingly. He knew when to keep things secret, too. As far as her family knew, they'd been together since her arrival on the island. It wasn't an enormous exaggeration, and neither Claire nor Owen wanted to discuss the time they spent apart.

"Claire's always been a bit of a stick in the mud," Zach teased. "I inherited Pop-pop's sense of humor more than she did."

"You thought I was hysterical when you were little," she countered. "You just don't remember."

"It must've been moving to Philadelphia then. Becoming uptight was a side effect of your blood thinning."

"That's not funny."

"It's a little funny," Owen parroted his words from the day of the incident. Claire picked up on it and swatted his arm lightly. Since they were sitting at a stop light, he leaned over and kissed her. He was thinking about "consulting" with her in his bungalow. She must've guessed what was on his mind and blushed as he pulled away. Zach was surprisingly tolerant of the display.

When the car started moving again, Zach revealed, "Pop-pop gave Claire a really hard time about her cold intolerance when she came back for the playoff game in 2004."

"Oh my God," Claire gaped in surprise, "How do you even remember that? You weren't even six!"

"It was my first playoff game, and it was a classic. Overtime win and everything."

"I remember that one, too," Owen chimed in. "Defensive touchdown in OT, right?"

"Yes!" Zach excitedly shook his aunt's seat. She was jarred but amused. "He's a keeper, Claire."

"I thought you recognized that immediately when we were on the island," she said warmly, eyes twinkling at Owen.

"I did, but as Pop-pop always said, 'Trust but verify.'"

"Glad you caught up to me, Zach." Owen reached out to squeeze her hand.

* * *

As they walked through the portal to their seating section, Owen gasped. He couldn't believe that Claire would turn her back on 50 yard line, lower level seats. He was already overcome by the excited energy of the playoff crowd in the parking lot and the concessions areas. He'd never attended a playoff game before. Even during the "Glory Years" of the Cowboys in the 1990s, his parents always told him it was too expensive. The enthusiasm of the fans - mostly Packers fans, but there was a respectable contingent of Cowboys fans - was unparalleled by any regular season game he'd attended.

"Earth to Owen," he heard Zach say over the din of the stadium. Owen hadn't realized he'd stopped walking. He was filled with a child-like sense of wonder as he watched the players warming up so close to where they were standing. He felt a gloved hand slip into his own. He looked down and saw Claire smiling up at him and finally wearing the hat he bought her. He gave her a quick but passionate kiss.

"I'm glad you're pleased," she said with a soft moan.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked.

Her lips pricked up into a sly smile. "You are very outnumbered here...and about to face the firing squad." Owen could hear Zach grumbling behind them. Claire tugged him down the steps to their row.

"Claire!" they heard someone yell. "Is that really you?" the voice continued with rising glee.

A fit, forty-something man mused sarcastically, "You're senile, Dad. It's not her."

Claire squealed in delight as she hugged the older man and said, "Don't listen to him, Ernie. It's me."

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Ernie replied. "I'm tearing up here."

"It's good to see you." She moved forward to the other man and hugged him as well. "You, too, Sawyer."

"Since when did you start wearing hats?" Sawyer asked dismissively through a happy smile.

"See?" exclaimed Claire, turning toward Owen. "I told you."

"He must know you better than me," Owen teased. Ernie and Sawyer looked at each other warily before greeting Zach. They shuffled down to their seats. Claire sat next to the Myles' with Owen between her and Zach. The seat on the other side of Zach was still empty.

As soon as they were settled, Claire cleared her throat and said, "Ernie, Sawyer, this is Owen, my-"

"Cowboys fan," Ernie interrupted with mock disgust. "Jesus, Claire. How could you? Pat is rolling in his grave."

"I've heard that before...from Claire herself," Owen replied with mirth. "She bought me this hat and scarf though." Ernie laughed heartily.

"You must be pretty special," Sawyer said genially while reaching out to shake his hand. "But we already knew that, since you managed to get her back here." He turned to look at Claire. "We missed you." Owen suddenly felt a little possessive and jealous. Sawyer was wearing thick gloves, so Owen couldn't tell if the man had a wedding ring. Their psychic link intact, Claire hooked his arm with hers and pulled up to kiss him quickly. There was a glint in her eyes, and the tip of her nose was turning pink from the cold. She never looked more adorable.

"He is very special to me," she sighed contentedly. Sawyer clicked his tongue and winked at Owen before turning to whisper something to his father. Owen looked to the field again in awe. He'd never sat so close to the action before.

"Amazing, right?" Zach said. Owen nodded but didn't turn his head. He was transfixed. "Pop-pop used to say that Lambeau was where he worshipped on Sundays and felt closest to God."

"These seats are pretty heavenly," Owen smirked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Claire talking animatedly to the Myles'. Her arm remained linked with his. He felt warm and not just from the heated seat cushion, which he decided was a brilliant accessory after all.

"Cal!" Claire practically yelled, jerking Owen out of his reverie. He turned to see a man who looked older than Ernie squeezing down the row of seats. The man was smiling ear to ear. Claire pulled away from Owen to stand and hug him.

"Sweetie," Cal choked out. "I can hardly believe it's you." As they pulled out of the hug, Claire started to open her mouth, but Cal spoke first. "You must be Owen." He turned and sandwiched Owen's outstretched hand between both of his. "Zach told me all about you."

Owen's eyebrows went up, and he huffed with feigned anxiety, "Great."

"Don't worry." Cal chuckled. "He said you were a...badass." Claire giggled at this. Cal turned toward her. "You, too, I heard. Zach said I shouldn't mess with either of you." He looked up at Owen's hat and breathed out in an exaggerated fashion. "You better be worth that third ticket." Claire looked at Zach sternly as Cal took his seat.

Zach cleared his throat and leaned close to Claire, "I've been giving him the third ticket for Rosie...most games."

Claire looked close to tears when she softly said, "He would've been proud of you." Owen was literally in the middle of a highly personal moment and felt like an intruder. Claire mouthed, "Thank you," to Zach before leaning back in her seat and taking Owen's hand.

Owen had long ago learned to sit back and enjoy Claire's game day excitement, but she was truly a sight to behold at a live event. She added her voice to the chanting and jeers of the other fans around her. She seemed completely in her element. Between the game action with his team and watching Claire sparkle with excitement, it was the greatest entertainment of his life. They were also buzzing on beer and stadium hot dogs - an incomparable delight all on its own.

When the Packers scored their first touchdown halfway through the first quarter, Zach and Sawyer taunted Owen. Sawyer brought up Tony Romo's infamous first playoff appearance when he fumbled the snap of a field goal kick and effectively lost the game for the Cowboys. This was a particular sore spot for Owen - along with most Cowboys fans - so a heated debate began raging about Romo's career feats. It was Claire's turn to enjoy the show as Owen rattled off numbers and launched a cogent defense of the quarterback.

Sawyer eventually shot him down smugly, "He's not clutch."

"We'll see about that," Owen muttered. He stopped short of pouting, suddenly aware of Claire smiling sweetly at him.

"What is it?" he asked self-consciously.

"Nothing," she answered coyly. Her cheeks were already rosy from the freezing air. He could tell she was hiding something, but he didn't press. The Cowboys were driving. They tied the game after a short touchdown pass by Romo. Owen immediately stood and hollered. His outburst was met with boos and calls to sit down from the throng of cheeseheads above and below him in the stands. He got thumbs up from a small collection of Cowboys fans to their left.

Cal turned to Zach and joked, "Do you regret bringing him now?"

"No way," Zach replied staunchly. "Owen earned his ticket." He flashed a mischievous grin toward Claire and Owen before promptly changing the subject with Cal. The score was now tied.

"I think you got it made, Claire," smirked Ernie, leaning over. "You win either way."

"I already won," she said proudly and leaned against Owen.

"Awww," Sawyer said, "You're making him blush." Owen simply rolled his eyes. He didn't know Sawyer well enough to make a snappy comeback. At least, that's what he told himself. He might've just been speechless, basking in Claire's affection.

At the break between quarters, Claire went to the restroom. Zach cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Owen," he began in a faux serious tone, "in the absence of my pop-pop being here, I have to make an inquiry on his behalf. What are your intentions toward our fair Claire?" He was clearly making a show of it in front of Cal and the Myles', who all laughed.

"I can assure you," Owen said matter-of-fact and playing along, "my intentions are pure."

"Good," Sawyer announced. "We all thought her college boyfriend was just dating her for these seats." Owen's eyes widened.

"Really?" Zach asked with shock. His jesting was more on the nose than he realized. "I don't remember him."

"Yeah," Ernie groaned. "Pat knew it, too. When he started bringing you and Scott to the games, it forced out...what was his name?"

Cal piped up demonstrably with disdain, "Justin."

"That's right," Ernie nodded then turned toward Owen. "Pat was over the moon having Zach here when Claire moved to Philly, but he was also thrilled to ditch Justin."

Sawyer looked in the direction of the portal - likely checking for Claire - and said in a hushed tone, "Justin would always ask Claire to fetch him shit from concessions. A friend of his would usually tag along, and - God forbid - the two of them miss any plays." He rolled his eyes and continued, "Justin talked to his friend more than Claire, too." Owen was frankly surprised to hear that Claire tolerated this behavior. He wanted to ask why but was afraid to hear the likely answer: love.

"If Pat was here with them," Ernie added, "Justin was more of a gentleman, but it was as fake as a rubber dick."

"As opposed to that other guy," Sawyer said while taking another quick peak at the portal.

"You mean the one who came to Pat's last game?" queried Cal, sadness on his face. Sawyer nodded with a grimace. Cal addressed Owen, "That guy. He fancied himself to be some kind of Prince Charming. He was all over her and moony-eyed. I could tell she wasn't into it."

"We all could!" Sawyer scoffed. "Seems like the roles are reversed again," he muttered under his breath. Owen and Zach caught his comment. Owen felt his anger bubbling, but a part of him wondered if he'd been under-compensating in the wake of Claire's confession.

While Owen contemplated his response, Zach spoke up, "You don't know what you're talking about. Owen is totally in love with Claire." Owen was taken aback by the teen's forceful tone. The other men just stared at Zach and avoided Owen's gaze. Owen suddenly noticed Claire making her way toward them, carrying a coffee cup.

"What'd I miss?" she asked excitedly while giving Owen a quick peck on the lips.

"Nothing," Owen mumbled unconvincingly. Claire made a face, so he smiled at her. She shrugged her shoulders and took his hand before getting engrossed in the action. Owen himself shrugged off the unpleasantness and enjoyed taunting Zach with the Packers poor performance throughout the second quarter. When Romo threw a touchdown pass, Owen didn't gloat outwardly but smiled haughtily at Sawyer.

Claire and the assembled Packers fans were on edge for the end-of-quarter drive that resulted in a field goal. There was a collective groan of disappointment around him, but Owen refrained from making any snarky comments. The Cowboys were leading going into halftime, and he was practically bursting with glee. Claire slapped her knees and took a deep breath before standing up.

"Well," she said with a playful smirk toward Owen, "this certainly makes my surprise better." He looked up at her quizzically as she continued, "Do you need to go to the bathroom first?"

"Are we going somewhere?" he stammered and stood hesitantly.

Claire grinned devilishly as she addressed Cal, "Can you babysit Zach for halftime while Owen and I visit with someone?" Zach rolled his eyes then shared a conspiratorial look with Claire.

"I hope we see you again," Zach quipped.

"I might come back alone," Claire joked with an exaggerated sigh. Sawyer was suddenly paying attention, and Owen wanted to deck him. Instead, he pulled Claire into a deep and scorching kiss. It was the kind of kiss that would make a woman's leg "pop" in a romantic comedy.

"That's not going to happen," he whispered as he pulled back. She was blushing and breathless - atwitter, really - and it was the exact response Owen was aiming for. He flashed a self-satisfied smile at Sawyer as they squeezed out to the aisle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you approve of my giving Owen a little extra angst here. The payoff (and more) is coming next. Please leave me a comment and stay tuned for the ending!


	5. Joie de Vivre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped to finish this story in five chapters, but I couldn't bear to cut material. This chapter is relatively short.

When Owen and Claire emerged from the elevator at the upper level, he still had no idea where they were going. She had been almost eerily silent as they held hands and weaved through the halftime crowd. She was focused on reading signs for seating sections before she abruptly stopped walking.

"Okay," said Claire, taking a deep breath and removing her hat and gloves. "This is it."

"Hey," Owen teased as she stuffed the accessories into a pocket. "Put my hat back on."

"After this, I will. Promise." Claire kissed him quickly on the lips then fixed her hair while looking him up and down. "You look good. Take off your hat and gloves, too. It'll be warm in here."

"In where?" She seemed to be overflowing with nervous excitement and didn't answer. He obeyed her instructions as they walked behind a velvet curtain. On the other side, a burly security guard with an earpiece and a clipboard was posted at a metal door.

"Names?" he asked gruffly.

"Claire Dearing and Owen Grady," she answered confidently. Owen's curiosity was piquing off the charts. The guard nodded after finding their names and said, "Raucous crowd in there. Does he know you're coming now?"

"Yes. He should be waiting for us just inside."

"Alright," the guard smiled at them before opening the door.

"Who's just inside?" Owen asked cautiously as he trailed behind Claire.

The guard answered first with an amused expression, "Mr. Staubach." Owen felt his stomach flip and his heart leap into his throat. His eyes went wide as they entered the private box. He started to sweat, from the heat of the crowd and his anticipatory anxiety. He felt a tug on his hand and heard a familiar male voice asking, "Claire?" Owen turned and was face-to-face with Roger Staubach, the same Cowboys legend with whom Claire previously arranged a private phone call for him. Owen was blindsided once again and couldn't formulate words. His lips started to tingle. He was semi-conscious of the introductions happening between Claire and Roger.

"She likes to keep you on your toes, doesn't she?" Roger queried with a grin as Owen regained his faculties and shook his hand.

"Yes," Owen almost mumbled. "This is another outstanding surprise." Claire was grinning ear-to-ear and squeezed his other hand. "It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, sir."

"Owen, we've been over this. Call me Roger, please," the older man spoke kindly to break the ice and quell Owen's jitters. "I was elated to hear from Claire last week. I worried about you both when I saw the news. You don't look too worse for the wear."

"We're surviving," Claire replied bluntly.

"Thank you for letting us come by," Owen said, keeping his eyes on Roger.

"Of course," Roger smirked. "I think you've earned a visit to the Cowboys' owner's suite."

Owen's jaw dropped, and he stammered, "Excuse me?" Roger put his hands on Owen's shoulders and turned his body to face the windows overlooking the field. "Ho...ly shit." Owen immediately put a hand over his mouth while Roger chuckled. Claire linked arms with Owen as he scanned the crowd. He recognized multiple former NFL players, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, actor Jamie Foxx, NBA MVP LeBron James, country music legend George Strait, as well as former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura. He was star struck. "This...is..."

"Indomitable?" Claire mused emphatically.

"You definitely upped the 'wow factor,'" Owen replied with a guffaw.

"I didn't think the playoff game itself was 'wow enough.'" She pretended to put on airs but couldn't stop herself from giggling. This made Owen enjoy the moment even more - if that were possible. Their ability to make jokes about the incident warmed his heart. It let him know that that they weren't just surviving. It was more than gallows humor. They were starting to move on. He wanted to kiss her but was self-conscious with Roger Staubach standing on the other side of him.

"Your focus groups may have been on to something," Owen said with a wink. "Bigger is better."

His eyes darted this way and that until Roger re-focused him with a tantalizing question, "Can I introduce you to anyone?" Claire gave Owen deference. He felt like a kid in a candy store. He wanted it all. Most people were already engaged in conversations, however, so he was hesitant to approach anyone spontaneously. Claire was clearly amused by his indecisiveness.

She turned to Roger and asked playfully, "Is the 'greatest running back in the history of the NFL' here?" Owen smiled at her quoting something he told her about his all-time favorite player.

"Yeah," Roger smirked. "Emmitt Smith is somewhere around here." A moan of jubilation escaped Owen's lips, and it all got a little hazy for him from there. They literally rubbed elbows with some of his childhood heroes. After Owen had a total fanboy moment with Emmitt Smith, the Hall of Famer was gracious enough to pose for a photo with him. Emmitt even snapped a picture of Owen, Claire and Roger. Claire was poised and completely unfazed while hobnobbing with the crowd of VIPs. She was also Owen's arm candy and rock. It made him feel like a VIP.

Roger shared funny anecdotes about previous playoff games as Claire and Owen enjoyed the Jones family personal chef's famous, game day fried chicken. It truly was the best they'd ever had. Due to the Jones family being very superstitious, Roger informed them that they had to leave before the start of the second half or would have to stay there for the rest of the game. Owen remained on cloud nine through their goodbyes to Roger, who wished them the best.

Claire made a show of putting her hat back on when they cleared the velvet curtain. Owen gave her a sly smile and followed suit. Before they were fully integrated into the stadium crowd, he was suddenly overwhelmed by his desire and love for her. He pinned her against the concrete wall next to a concessions booth and started making out with her. Claire didn't resist one bit.

"That was amazing," he said when taking a breath between kisses. "You're amazing." Soft whimpers and hums were all she could manage in response. Owen decided he had to break his promise to himself. Maybe she would finally say it back. He pulled fully out of their kiss and held her wrists at her sides. He gazed deeply into her eyes, as if trying to pierce her soul. "Claire, I lo-"

"Hey!" someone shouted from near the booth. "Miss, is this Dallas punk bothering you?" They both turned their heads to see a very concerned man clad in head-to-toe Packers gear and carrying nachos. He looked ready to hurl his chips at Owen, if necessary. Owen let go of Claire's wrists and straightened up in embarrassment. He wondered if his position truly appeared threatening or if the man was intoxicated.

Claire cleared her throat and said seriously, "Thank you for the chivalry, but he's my boyfriend."

The man looked Owen up and down suspiciously before replying with chagrin, "Cowboys fans can get rough. Don't take any shit from him."

"Duly noted," she smirked. The man walked off, huffing, without another word. Owen and Claire laughed nervously. He scanned the area for other spectators before leaning over her once again. Her back remained against the wall.

"For the record," he said as he toyed with a lock of red hair that was poking out of her hat, "the playoff game is 'wow enough.'" He wanted to make sure she knew. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know," she preened. "There's nothing I HAVE to do for you. Just plenty I WANT to do for you." Owen felt her love for him radiating off her. Claire abruptly turned her head at the sound of the crowd reacting to the game action. She looked anxious to get back to their seats. He sighed. Their moment had passed for now. He held back from correcting her, from reminding her that he did, in fact, need her. He would save it for when they were alone. He would, however, spend the remainder of the game making sure that she could feel his love radiating back. If Sawyer noticed, too, that would be a perk.

* * *

Claire and Zach fell asleep almost immediately on the return car ride after the game ended. Claire was out like a light in the backseat right away, but Zach navigated them through a shortcut from the parking lot to the highway before drifting off himself. Owen was only slightly incensed about having to rely solely on his GPS - without support from a Wisconsin native - to bring them all safely back to Karen's house. He mostly just enjoyed the quiet following so much stimulation and reflected on the game. Dallas loss notwithstanding, it had been a truly awesome day.

When they returned to their seats from the Jones family suite, Owen showed off his photos to Zach. Cal got a peak, too, and was thoroughly impressed by Claire's "grand gesture." After Claire and Zach left their seats to procure warm beverages, Cal asked Owen if he was planning anything grand for her in return. The older man motioned to the Jumbotron as a corny marriage proposal was happening between two Packers fans. Without blinking, Owen plainly stated, "Claire would hate that." Cal chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Pat would've liked you," Cal told him. "He only ever wanted Claire to be happy. He was so proud of her accomplishments, but the specifics didn't matter to him. Pat used to say that he could always 'see it in her eyes' if she was enjoying life...or not. His getting sick changed her. He saw it, and it broke his heart." Cal tilted his head toward the Myles'. "All our hearts, Owen." A few tears slid down his cheeks before he finished. "I wish Pat was here today, so he could see what I see when she looks at you."

The conversation reminded Owen of when Claire told him during their golf outing that she was a "terrible actress." He wondered if this was something her dad initially told her. In addition to feeling her love all day, he could see it in her eyes just like Cal. Owen berated himself for putting a condition on his saying it to her. At the same time, however, he wanted her to be fully honest with him and relinquish the control she maintained by withholding it.

"Are we past Crappleton?" Zach whispered from the passenger's seat while taking a quick glance at the backseat.

"What?" Owen answered softly with mild startle.

"It's what Claire calls Appleton," smirked Zach. "She hates it there. I wondered if she was going to fake sleeping until we were beyond it."

Owen looked back at Claire and said with confidence, "No, she's actually asleep."

"Do you know about her and Grandma Lynn? Their bad blood?"

"Yes." Owen was still whispering. He was concerned she'd wake up at any moment, ears burning.

"Did Claire tell you that Grandma Lynn invited us all over for dinner tonight?"

Owen remembered Claire saying that she hadn't spoken to her mother since her father died. He wasn't surprised that she wouldn't mention such an invitation. He was glad she didn't. It made him angry just thinking about it now. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he gritted his teeth.

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Zach said nervously then stammered, "Are you mad at Claire now? At me?"

"No," Owen sighed. "I'm not mad at either of you." He breathed out and calmed himself. "I'm mad for Claire."

Zach smiled, "You ARE a keeper."

"Thanks, kid."

"Sawyer even figured that out. I noticed he didn't mess with you during the second half. You were the confident badass I know." They laughed conspiratorially, and then Zach shifted back to his prankster self. "In terms of taking the Cowboy loss well, I mean."

Owen rolled his eyes and feigned offense, "I'm used to it by now. They haven't been champs in a long time. Tony Romo really may not be clutch."

"You said it first." Owen fought the sudden urge to playfully ruffle Zach's hair. After the incident and spending the last couple of days together, he'd developed a real paternal affection for him. He chalked it up mostly to Claire's renewed bond with Zach and watching her come alive at the game. Owen knew that it was also, in part, due to his being changed by caring for others. He was much less cynical and jaded about humanity now compared to when he accepted the bet four months ago. It surprised him but didn't bother him. He looked toward the backseat, and Claire was smiling broadly at him. He had no idea how long she'd been awake. Owen instantly felt warm and blessed.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said after smiling back at her. "You hungry?" One side of Claire's mouth curled up mischievously. "What?" Owen's head was in the gutter.

Claire shifted her gaze to the seat in front of her and addressed Zach, "Should we take Owen to Culver's...for cheese curds?" His head was proverbially kicked out of the gutter.

Owen said with a grimace, "That sounds disgusting."

"They are a PREMIUM side order," Zach replied haughtily.

Claire giggled and added, "It's a game day tradition - win or lose." Owen groaned, and she pouted in jest.

"Would you seriously deprive her, man?" Zach taunted. "Maybe you're NOT a keeper."

Owen scoffed, "Claire knows I would do anything for her." He paused for dramatic effect. "Even chase after dumbass kids who don't know how to behave in a theme park."

"Wicked burn," Claire quipped in an exaggerated Boston accent. Owen always favored that Bostonian colloquialism. It had slipped out a few times in her presence, and she found it both hysterical and adorable.

Claire and Zach knew the exit off the interstate for their preferred Culver's - a local fast food chain, so they told him. Claire proudly talked about its expansion across the country, too. When they got out of the car, she took Owen's hand and whispered in his ear, "Anything?"

"Anything," he whispered back, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I'd walk through fire for you."

She teased, "If it came to THAT, I hope you'd be running." Owen stopped short to look into her eyes and put his arms around her waist. Her cheeks and nose were turning pink in the cold. He almost said it, but he feared Zach would interrupt things. Claire pulled up to give him him a deeper kiss. "I hope it never comes to that," she said softly with a whimper as she pulled away. "I can't stand the thought of you in danger again."

"Likewise." He rested his forehead against hers and felt her shivering. "Let's get inside."

Deep fried cheese curds were not as disgusting as Owen feared, but he still didn't order any. Claire managed to stealthily pop one into his mouth while they were sitting next to each other in the booth. Zach gave her a high five when Owen's face contorted with pretend gagging. Owen swallowed it despite being off put by the consistency and texture. He winced and proclaimed, "Not as gross as poutine, but definitely not for me." He had an intense urge to brush his teeth.

"What's poutine?" Zach asked.

"French fries covered with raw cheese curds and brown gravy," Owen answered flatly.

"Yuck. Where did you have that?"

"Quebec." Owen put his arm around Claire and started talking about his frequent visits there while living in Boston. He spoke animatedly about the culture in Montreal and Winter Carnival in Quebec City. He even spontaneously demonstrated his well-maintained, high school-honed French that later came in very handy when working with Barry.

Just as she had in the kitchen that morning with Gray, Claire delighted in his story telling. This time, however, there was the added bonus of her "rewarding" his openness with her hand on his thigh. Owen could tell that she was turned on by his speaking French, too. He wanted to make love to her as soon as possible and imagined having to sneak into her room in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect some drama coming up, along with all the other things I love to write for Clawen. (I apologize in advance if it's a little cheesy and sentimental.)
> 
> Please comment and let me know what you think of my callbacks to canon - film and trailer.


	6. The Leap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The NFL Playoffs are almost done in real time, and I promised myself that I would post the conclusion in coordination with that. I worked hard to tie up loose ends from _The Mark_ and bring this OTP full circle - before the wicked game starts all over again in _Fallen Kingdom_! Thanks for all comments on this "saga.” It means the world to me. I hope you like my ending. I'm really going to miss writing this head canon.

Karen was waiting for them upon their return. She looked upset. No, that was an understatement. She looked like a raptor on a hunt. Owen had an inkling as to why but was not in the mood for drama. It had been such an amazing day, he wanted to end things on a high note. He and Claire were also leaving in the morning, and he hoped to avoid any unpleasantness in the little time that remained. It was apparently too much to hope for.

"Why didn't you stop in Appleton?" Karen addressed Claire directly in an accusatory tone.

Claire rolled her eyes, "I'm not getting into this now. You know why." She crossed her arms and glared at her sister.

Karen postured right back at her, "Even if you didn't want to see her, it would've been good for Zach."

"He didn't care," Claire answered dismissively.

"Zach almost died," Karen hissed. "You don't understand what it's like to be a parent or grandparent." Her tone was judgmental and malicious. She wasn't trying to share her wounded heart with Claire. Karen was out for blood. "We never know how much time we have left," she sneered viciously. "You can understand THAT, at least...daddy's girl?"

Claire gave her sister the stink eye, a look that said, "Don't go there." Owen recognized it from when he called her out on her use of the word "attraction" outside his bungalow on the day of the incident. He turned to Zach, who mirrored his aunt's look. Both of them were clearly upset with Karen's covert and unempathic invocation of their beloved Patrick Dearing. Karen laughed silently, keenly aware of the nerve she struck. Owen's entire body tensed. He knew Claire could handle herself, but he wanted to defend her. He felt his reflexive anger building.

Claire took a deep breath and appeared to dig in her heels. "Is this really about Mom?" she asked arrogantly.

"No." Karen stopped short. Owen wondered if the woman might cry. Instead, she doubled down and loosed venom that she'd likely been holding back all weekend. "You put my sons at unnecessary risk - for a guy! You should've evacuated them as soon as you were reunited." Karen paused to snicker. "All you care about is yourself. Your needs. Just. Like. Dad."

Although Claire was standing like a stone, Owen recognized her simmering rage. He presumed that she was accustomed to these kinds of personal attacks, but he was not. Right when he was going to interrupt their staring contest, Zach rushed in. "Gray and I chose to stay with Claire and Owen, Mom. We wanted to be with them." Owen wondered if Gray was asleep or eavesdropping from somewhere unseen.

Karen scoffed, "She's the adult and should've had more sense than to place you in harm's way. You were just collateral damage to her." She looked menacingly at Claire, who remained statuesque. "Your job wasn't on the line at that point. That raptor situation was Owen's battle. You had no business being out there...ogling your boyfriend on a tablet while your nephews cowered in terror from the back of some random truck." Karen cackled sarcastically, "That REALLY protected them from run-ins with raptors. You are one fucking amazing godmother."

Owen imagined that Gray probably described the entire series of events to Karen. She also might've been fishing for ammunition to use against her sister under the guise of supporting her son. Or so, that's what he assumed as he felt himself ready to explode. He half-hoped that she was drunk to explain this unprovoked tirade. Karen took him by surprise and turned toward him abruptly with a dastardly, shit-eating grin. "Fair warning, Claire always messes up relationships. It's only a matter of time. I would get out before she disappoints you."

Owen flashed back to the similar statement that Derek made about Claire once over the phone. He had, unfortunately, memorized the other man's words: "She won't make you happy. You'll understand in time. She's an uptight control freak who will always choose herself over anything and everyone else...just like her father." Owen couldn't hold back any longer. He wasn't just a spectator to this argument anymore. He didn't wait to make eye contact with Claire before stepping between the sisters.

"You're out of line," he snarled at Karen. "She saved your kids. She saved me." He pointed his index finger directly in front of her face. "You don't know her anymore, if you ever really did. The other season ticket holders we just spent the day with know Claire better than you." Owen's eyes didn't deviate, but he brusquely moved his finger in the direction where he knew Zach was still standing. "HE knows Claire better than you." Karen took a step backward, that much closer to a wall of the living room. She was caught and trembled in fear as Owen heaved over her. She looked frantically toward Zach and Claire. Owen's penetrating gaze remained fixed on Karen, so he didn't see their responses. "Apologize." It was an order. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. Owen had never hit a woman and never before felt so close to doing so.

Karen swallowed hard and stiffened, "No." Dearing women could be so exasperating.

Owen retreated by one footfall and relaxed his hands. "Fine," he declared. "We're leaving then. Claire doesn't deserve your abuse." He turned on his heel. Claire was staring up at him with pride. She nodded and held out her hand to him. He was still very angry but softened significantly when she squeezed his hand. He could feel her heartbeat racing.

"No!" Gray's shouting and running down the stairs interrupted the awkward silence. "Don't go!" He ran to Claire and put his arms around her waist. She let go of Owen's hand to return the embrace.

"We'd be leaving in the morning anyway," Claire sighed while rubbing the boy's back. "And, you have school tomorrow." She reduced her volume to a whisper when she added playfully, "Sorry if it's oatmeal for breakfast. I'm glad we had your eggs and bacon this morning." Karen stared daggers at her sister. Claire looked back at her smugly. It was Owen's turn to feel proud. He held back from flipping off Karen.

"I'll help you pack," Zach said in a small voice next to him. Owen and Zach shared a solemn look of understanding.

Karen stayed in her bedroom while the boys helped Claire and Owen load the trunk of the car. Neither Owen nor Claire apologized for leaving. Gray wasn't quite old enough to get it, but Zach supported them. The teen held back from apologizing for his mother's behavior. Owen could tell that Zach was torn. Zach was also old enough to understand Karen's heartbreak. That didn't excuse her nasty behavior though, and Owen remained firmly on Claire's side. Claire said almost nothing to him while they prepared to leave. She appeared calm and unfazed, thankfully.

Claire went upstairs to say goodbye to Karen while Owen talked to the boys.

"When will you come back?" Gray asked, close to tears.

"I don't know, kid," sighed Owen. "I think that'll be up to your mom." Gray groaned, and Zach put an arm on his shoulder.

"It'll get easier for her," the older brother said. "A lot's happened at once."

"Will Claire go away again?" Gray stuttered as his eyes welled with tears.

"No," Zach answered confidently. "She's back for good." Owen had been right. Zach did know Claire better than Karen. He could probably see it in her eyes, too. Owen smiled affectionately at Zach.

When Claire came back downstairs, she looked like she'd been crying. Owen put his arm around her silently as they walked out to the car. Claire gave her nephews huge hugs and told them she would call soon. Owen could tell that she was fighting back tears. He caught Zach sniffling, and the teen shrugged his shoulders in response. Owen hugged the boys himself, and Claire smiled at him adoringly before getting into the driver's seat. She found them a hotel room nearby and wanted to drive.

Claire remained quiet on the ride, but it wasn't awkward. It helped Owen keep his cool. He didn't want to hear anything else about Karen lest he lose it again. When they finally got to their room, Owen felt exhausted. It had been a long day, and he looked forward to holding Claire all night. He turned toward her to ask, "Do you want to shower?" There was absolutely no sexual connotation to his question, so he was surprised when she blushed.

Claire sat on the edge of their king-sized bed and patted the mattress for him to sit next to her. When he obliged her, she took a deep breath and held both his hands.

"I love you, Owen." His heart stopped. He forgot how to breathe. It felt like he'd waited a lifetime to hear it. He had no clue what kind of response was adequate to express his profound happiness. Claire started to cry, and he cupped her face with both hands. She put her hands on top of his. "I knew I loved you since the first time you got fired up over how Karen treated me. When you stayed that first night, I felt shy around you." He remembered her behavior that night in the exact same way - it had been adorable and endearing. "I almost told you then," she continued, "but I thought it was too soon and would scare you off." Claire pulled his face out of his hands. She looked vulnerable, skittish even. "I wanted to tell you - sober - the morning after the second night you stayed over. It almost slipped out when we were drunk on champagne." Owen knew what night she meant. It shamed him.

"I felt it that night," he said, averting her gaze. "And saw it in your eyes. That's why I ran the next morning. It did scare me." He locked eyes with her. "I felt like I didn't deserve your love." Claire kissed him. It started gentle, but their intense hunger for each other couldn't be denied. It built slowly. Owen wanted to savor it. He eventually pulled them both down onto the mattress. As he moved to roll on top of her, she broke out of their kiss. He whimpered at the loss of contact. She was panting. Her heart racing.

She put her hand on his cheek and whispered breathily, "I wasn't sure if you were the same man I fell in love with. Wasn't sure that man ever existed...after you told me about the bet." She paused and looked at him in the gratified way she did when they first made love. "You're still you, after all." Claire suddenly seemed apologetic and embarrassed. She added timidly, "It's always been you." Owen knew she wasn't saying it in response to Karen's words. She was saying it in response to his. He loved her at least as far back as the first night he spent at her cottage. Probably much earlier than that.

"I love you, Claire." He was never more sure of anything in his life. He could feel the heat between them and wanted to be consumed by it. It would be like running through fire for her.

Claire passionately fastened her lips to his before rolling him beneath her and pulling off her shirt. Owen groaned audibly at the sight of her long underwear, and she giggled.

"You removed the top layer only on purpose," he whined.

"I thought you like to make things last longer," she teased. One side of his mouth curled up before he tossed her off him. She gasped dramatically in jest. He wrestled with her to remove her thermal layer while she fumbled to unbutton his flannel shirt. Claire managed to scramble back on top of him after he chucked his shirt aside. When he moved to flip them, she tensed her thighs around him. When he reached up to unclasp her bra, she pushed him back down. He couldn't help laughing a little.

"What is it?" she asked self-consciously while running her hands underneath his thermal top and tugging the fabric up his chest.

"You're living vicariously through Xenia Onatopp," Owen opined seductively.

"You better hope I'm not." She leaned down to plant kisses on his newly bared chest.

"You've done me in already, Claire." She paused to stare lovingly at him. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, giving her goosebumps. He felt her thighs relaxing and took advantage. He flipped them and removed her bra in one fluid motion. He smiled smugly as he pinned her down.

"I wanted to have sex with you as soon as we walked out of the Jones suite," Owen said while massaging her nipples with his thumbs. It successfully distracted her from trying to buck him off to get back on top.

"I know a few dark corners at Lambeau," she purred. "You should've asked." He almost did at the time, but he didn't want to hear what she'd done with other guys there. Claire giggled again - he must've made an odd face. "Don't worry, I never had sex at Lambeau. That would've been a new way to warm me up."

"I'm all about firsts with you, Claire. We missed a real opportunity there." Joking around during foreplay was definitely a first for them, and he was loving every second of it. They continued distracting each other to alternate positions and remove articles of clothing. Owen was out of breath by the time they were completely naked and she was sitting astride him. She was clearly drawing it out and enjoyed making him squirm in anticipation. As he waited for her to mount him, he knew he wouldn't last long - especially if she said "I love you" again. He was still giddy over it.

They cried out in almost perfect unison once he was sheathed inside her. Owen knew then that they both wouldn't last long. "God, Claire, you...are...wow," he choked out as she rode him hard. He delighted in feeling her become increasingly wet around him.

"Oh, Owen...you..." She trailed off when his skillful hands brought her to climax. They were both goners. With his last shred of strength, he flipped them to wrap his arms around her upper back and pump her into the mattress as he came forcefully. She held tightly to him throughout their orgasms.

After their bodies stilled, Claire whispered in his ear, "I love you."

He supported himself on his elbows to see her face and said, "I love you, too." Owen collapsed back on the mattress out of exhaustion. After about a minute of silence and slowing breaths, he rolled off her and repositioned her body so that they were facing each other. He moved hair away from her face to marvel at her. She blushed as she ran her fingers along the stubble on his jawline.

"You were very chatty in bed tonight," Claire mused gleefully.

"You brought it out in me - I've never been happier," Owen beamed before tickling around her belly button to invoke her delicious giggling. He grinned in self-satisfaction. "That is now my THIRD favorite sound in the world." She looked at him expectantly. "Second, is you saying my name when we're in bed." He paused to take her hand and entwine their fingers. "First, is you saying 'I love you' post-coitally." He kissed her lightly then sighed deeply. "You were wrong about there being nothing you HAVE to do for me. I HAVE to hear that. I've been desperate to hear it."

"Is that why you hadn't said it since Friday night?" she asked with hurt in her eyes.

He winced, "You noticed, huh?"

"Of course I noticed!" she exclaimed indignantly. Claire sat up, pulling the sheet around her body. "That's pretty cruel, Owen." He pulled up beside her and ran his fingers along her arm, a soft apology.

He kissed her exposed shoulder and admitted, "I didn't want you to think I was 'over-compensating.'" His tone was somewhat defensive. She shrank from him ever so slightly. He could read the regret in her expression. He recognized the self-loathing. He knew it well. The bet was their shared burden, despite his wanting to deny it. It fucked with both their heads. If they were ever going to move beyond it as well as grapple with their individual defenses, they needed to continue being honest with each other. Owen put an arm around her and said, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not blameless here. That accusation just really stung. It reminded me of when you thought I was using you for blow jobs." She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against him.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered after a brief silence. He could almost feel her protective barrier slipping down. "It's not always easy for me to believe that someone so wonderful actually loves me back." He moved to face her and hold her chin.

"Your love is what makes me wonderful. You made me more than what I was before...us." For the first time in her presence, Owen felt himself tearing up. "This version of myself doesn't exist without you. How could I not need you? How could I not love you?" They both started to cry, but it was joyful. She caught his tears with her lips when they started to roll down his cheeks. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his.

"I feel whole with you, period," stuttered Claire, choking back tears. "Not just when you're inside me." She pulled back to hold his face in her hands and look at him with adoration. "You make me feel in a way that I never imagined. Like I was always missing a piece but never knew it." She dropped her hands and adopted a fearful countenance. "I'm scared I'll lose you and never feel whole again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Claire." He pulled her into his arms then added lightly, "Plus, Cal made me promise that I would never break your heart." Owen could feel her smiling against him. "Making you happy makes me feel in a way that I never imagined, and I can see in your face that it's the same for you. Like today, in the Jones suite." He felt her melting into their embrace. "That feeling is-"

"Beyond compare," she finished his sentence, reading his mind. He kissed the top of her head in silent agreement. He suddenly jumped at a realization. She startled and looked at him quizzically.

Owen cleared his throat, "I have a surprise for you. I...um...didn't give it to you earlier because-"

Claire interrupted with a smirk, "I'd think it was over-compensating?" He nodded, a little embarrassed but mostly thrilled to have saved the gift for this most opportune moment. He went to his suitcase to retrieve a mailing envelope very similar in size to the one that Claire gave him containing the Cowboys hat and scarf. He dropped it in her lap before positioning himself behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Open it," he instructed while resting his chin on her shoulder. He held his breath as she tore into it. She gasped as she unfolded the green and gold Packers jersey. It was custom-made, emblazoned with a "1" digit and bearing the name "DEARING" on the back. She was speechless. "New memories for my number one," he whispered proudly in her ear.

She leaned her back against him and sighed, "You're irreplaceable."

"Damn straight." As they laughed together, Owen moved his hands up her sides. She moaned, and her fingers tensed in the fabric of the jersey. He was certain she could feel his erection.

"You always know what to get me," she purred. "I want to wear it while we make love." He held the jersey above her head as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. When her arms dropped back down to her sides, he kissed her neck and groped her breasts through the fabric. She began squirming in anticipation. It was extremely gratifying.

"Would you be alright with my staying chatty in bed?" he asked with something tantalizing in mind.

"Absolutely," she was almost panting. "I liked it."

"I bet I can make you like it even more."

"How so?"

"En Français, bien sûr, ma chere mademoiselle."

Claire shuddered in pleasure, "Oh my God, that is so hot." She turned around to kiss him and put her arms around his neck. "More," she pleaded.

"Tout pour toi, mon amour." She whimpered at his every word. He laid her down on the bed and hovered above her. "Tu es ma maison." He brought his hand to the apex of her legs. "Rien ne se compare à vous." Her eyes fluttered closed.

"Don't stop," she begged while running her hands languidly over his chest.

"Jamais, Claire." He paused, willing her to open her eyes. When she took the hint, he smiled and kissed her lips gently before reassuring her, "I will never let you go. Je dois être avec vous." He felt tiny tears pricking the corners of his eyes. She cupped his cheek as he translated, "I belong with you."

She smiled mischievously. "Moi aussi, Monsieur Grady." Her accent was perfect. He almost fell forward onto her with surprise. She giggled before adding, "Je t'aime."

_Fin._


End file.
